By Prabhjot Singh | Netherlands |
India missed out on a place in the FIH Hockey World Cup semifinals after being held to a goalless draw by Australia at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Sunday (August 23).
Needing a victory to advance, India created several opportunities but poor finishing proved costly. Australia had more penalty corners, but India enjoyed long spells of territorial advantage and looked the more threatening side in open play.
Earlier, the Netherlands defeated China 4-1, a result that kept India’s hopes alive. However, the draw against Australia meant both Asian teams, India and China, were eliminated from semifinal contention and relegated to the fifth-to-eighth-place classification matches.
Australia had an early goal disallowed in the second minute after India successfully challenged the decision. India goalkeeper Savita then produced an important save in the 20th minute to deny another Australian attack.
India earned its first penalty corner just before half-time but failed to convert. Australia again found the net from a penalty corner in the 40th minute, only for another Indian referral to overturn the goal after the ball was ruled to have struck an Australian player on the shoulder.
India continued to press in the final quarter but could not find the decisive goal.
India finished third in the group, ahead of China on goal difference, and will now compete for the fifth and sixth positions.
India’s only previous World Cup semifinal appearance came at the inaugural tournament in 1974, when it eventually finished fourth.
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(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics)
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