Hockey World Cup, Crossover, India vs New Zealand as it happened: India lose 4-5 in the shootout

That’s it from us tonight. India will next play in the classification match on January 26, against Japan. See you then.

A heartbreaking result for India, especially since the team led for a majority of the match and had a two-goal cushion, twice. Eventually, it was the calm defence from New Zealand, and the missed chances from the 10+ penalty corners for India that made the difference. PR Sreejesh did all he could, put his body on the line and limped off during the shootout. Eventually, he did not get much support from the penalty takers.

Final score: New Zealand wins 5-4 in the shootout after the match ended 3-3 in regulation time.

Sean Findley, who scored the equaliser in regulation time, and then twice in the shootout, is adjudged the player of the match.

NEW ZEALAND WINS!

Shootout, India 4-5 New Zealand: Shamsher Singh comes up, and it’s saved. But the umpire decides for a retake. On the retake, Hayward makes the save again!

Shootout, India 4-5 New Zealand: Sam Lane steps up, scores, but only after Pathak made a first save.

No backstick. Clean save.

But there’s a referral, India is asking to check for a backstick by the goalkeeper.

Shootout, India 4-4 New Zealand: Sukhjeet Singh comes up, and it’s saved.

Shootout, India 4-4 New Zealand: Phillips up for New Zealand, but Pathak makes the save. India can win it now.

Shootout, India 4-4 New Zealand: Rajkumar Pal calmly lifts the ball over the keeper’s stick.

Shootout, India 3-4 New Zealand: Findley scores again. Gets around Pathak and scoops in. India HAS to score now.

Sreejesh is injured, now Krishan Pathak comes on to replace him. All sorts of drama here.

Shootout, India 3-3 New Zealand: Harmanpreet goes for an early shot, and it’s saved!

Harmanpreet Singh with a chance to win it now.

Shootout, India 3-3 New Zealand: Woods comes up again. Sreejesh puts him off, Woods gets a chance to shoot again and Sreejesh again makes the save.

Shootout, India 3-3 New Zealand: Sam Hiha had a chance to send New Zealand through, and Sreejesh makes the save. India back level!

Shootout, India 3-3 New Zealand: Sukhjeet Singh scores.

Shootout, India 2-3 New Zealand: Sam Lane with a chance to send New Zealand through takes the ball too far, narrow angle and Sreejesh makes the save.

Shootout, India 2-3 New Zealand: Hayward makes another save, this time he stops Shamsher

Shootout, India 2-3 New Zealand: New Zealand scored, a referral is made, replays show the ball crossed the line with 2 hundreths of a second left to spare.

Shootout, India 2-2 New Zealand: Leon Hayward SAVES IT! Abhishek tries too much and the goalkeeper makes the stop.

Shootout, India 2-2 New Zealand: Sean Findlay, who scored the equaliser, spins past Sreejesh and scores.

Shootout, India 2-1 New Zealand: Rajkumar Pal calmly dodges Leon Hayward to score

Shootout, India 1-1 New Zealand: Nic Woods is fouled by Sreejesh. Kane Russell takes the stroke and scores.

Shootout, India 1-0 New Zealand: Harmanpreet Singh goes first and gets the better of the NZ goalie.

This one is going to the shootout.

THERE GOES THE FINAL HOOTER!

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: Last 5 seconds, New Zealand scramble the ball into the circle, two Indian defenders fumble, Sam Lane left at the mercy of an open goal cannot get a clean touch, but Krishan Pathak makes the save.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: 51 seconds left

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: New Zealand have defended superbly even with a player less. India have been so passive with their passing. No real intent to put pressure on New Zealand

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: New Zealand back to 11 players.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: New Zealand will be back to 11 players when there’s a minute and 15 seconds left to play.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: Varun Kumar takes the drag-flick but it’s wide.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: With just over 6 minutes left, Nick Ross gets a yellow card for dangerous play, and India wins a PC. Can India take advantage?

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: Harmanpreet doesn’t pick it up well and fluffs the drag-flick.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: PC for India

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: India have been all over the place and New Zealand have punished them for it. The crowd has been egging India on at every chance they get.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: Glorious chance for New Zealand. Simon Child steals the ball off Jarmanpreet Singh, it falls to Sam Hiha. He controls and hits hard but Krishan Pathak gets a hand on it.

Crossover, India 3-3 New Zealand in Q4: GOAL FOR NEW ZEALAND! The PC is botched, but the ball comes out to Hayden Phillips. He goes for a shot but it’s wayward. But Sean Findley makes an acrobatic deflection to score.

Crossover, India 3-2 New Zealand in Q4: New Zealand wins a second PC

Crossover, India 3-2 New Zealand in Q4: Another chance for New Zealand. Simon Child makes space and unleashes a powerful reverse hit but it’s straight at Krishan Pathak in the India goal.

Crossover, India 3-2 New Zealand in Q4: Good chance for New Zealand. Lofted cross for Sam Lane who controls well inside the circle. Goes for the half-volley but the ball is high and deflected over the bar.

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: India gifted both the goals for New Zealand. Graham Reid won’t be happy with how they conceded them. Should have been 3-0 instead of 3-2 to get Q4 started.

There goes the hooter. Still everything in it. Varun Kumar’s drag-flick gave India a two-goal cushion again, but Kane Russell reduced the deficit again with a well taken penalty corner routine. Last 15 will be very interesting.

Crossover, India 3-2 New Zealand in Q3: PC for India. Amit Rohidas takes it and again Simon Child is there at the post to clear the danger

Crossover, India 3-2 New Zealand in Q3: GOAL FOR NEW ZEALAND! Kane Russell powers his drag-flick past Amit Rohidas and PR Sreejesh to pull another one back for the Kiwis.

Crossover, India 3-1 New Zealand in Q3: On the break, New Zealand wins its first PC of the match

Crossover, India 3-1 New Zealand in Q3: GOAL FOR INDIA! Varun Kumar scores! He goes straight down the middle, between the legs of Dominic Dixon, who has been brilliant for New Zealand throughout this match.

Crossover, India 2-1 New Zealand in Q3: PC for India after a referral.

Crossover, India 2-1 New Zealand in Q3: Harmanpreet Singh goes for it, Dixon makes the save, ball goes to Abhishek who shoots but the shot is blocked by a defender.

Crossover, India 2-1 New Zealand in Q3: PC for India

Just a quick reminder, winner of this match goes on to play the quarterfinal against defending champion Belgium. Losing team plays Japan in the classification match.

Second half underway!

Both sides cancelled each other out in the first quarter, but the game opened up well in the second. Lalit Upadhyay put India in the lead with a well worked team goal before Sukhjeet Singh made it 2-0. Sam Lane pulled one back for New Zealand in the 29th minute to keep the Kiwis in the game. Still all to play, but India has the advantage.

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: End of the first half and India lead 2-1. It was all India in that half until the defence went to sleep towards the end which allowed the Black Sticks to equalises through Sam Lane. Akashdeep has been the star for India so far with his relentless running in attack and defence.

There goes the hooter to end the first half!

Crossover, India 2-1 New Zealand in Q2: GOAL FOR NEW ZEALAND! Sam Lane pulls one back for the Kiwis. Excellent work by Sean Findley, runs down the left channel and finds an unmarked Simon Child. He controls, and then cross-in for Lane who is lurking at the far post and makes no mistake in the simple tap in.

Crossover, India 2-0 New Zealand in Q2: GOAL FOR INDIA! Sukhjeet Singh makes no mistake. Harmanpreet Singh goes for the drag-flick, it’s straight at Dixon who can’t keep the deflection down. Sukhjeet is at the right place at the right time and plays an almost tennis-style overhead smash (albeit with two hands on the stick) to double India’s lead.

Crossover, India 1-0 New Zealand in Q2: Another PC for India.

Crossover, India 1-0 New Zealand in Q2: Foul by a New Zealand player in the Indian half and India is awarded a PC. Amit Rohidas takes it, goes for a variation. He passes to Lalit but the deflection is excellently saved by Dixon.

Crossover, India 1-0 New Zealand in Q2: It seemed that Nilakanta Sharma got the goal, but New Zealand make a successful referral. Varun Kumar went for the drag-flick but it was well saved by Dominic Dixon. Abhishek got to the loose ball and managed to get the ball in the centre where it fell kindly to an unmarked Nilakanta. Turns out though that Abhishek used a backstick. Long story, short, no goal for India.

Crossover, India 1-0 New Zealand in Q2: Another PC for India

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: A lot of credit also goes to Akashdeep, who nutmegged a Black Sticks player to spring the counter, and also to Shamsher who played the perfect pass to set up Lalit. Reid must be pleased with that goal

Crossover, India 1-0 New Zealand in Q2: GOAL FOR INDIA! It’s Lalit Upadhyay!

Harmanpreet Singh stealing the ball in his own half, Akashdeep takes over and plays a long pass to Shamsher Singh, who plays a cross to the unmarked Lalit. He controls and unleashes a low drive that gives no chance to the Kiwi goalie.

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q2: What a chance for New Zealand but it goes begging. Clever run from Simon Child from the right, cuts it back in for Kim Kingstone who somehow manages to place his shot wide despite a near-open goal at his disposal.

There goes the hooter for the first quarter. Both teams have largely cancelled each other out in midfield. India has had more circle penetrations, but, apart from Harmanpreet Singh’s PC, New Zealand has had the better chance at a field goal.

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Harmanpreet Singh does well to pick up the ball despite a wayward injection. But his shot is slapped away by Simon Child at the goalline.

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Penalty corner for India after Kane Russell’s rough tackle on Rajkumar Pal

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Good chance for New Zealand. Simon Child plays a 1-2 with Aiden Sarikaya before playing a hard and low shot, but PR Sreejesh is there in goal to kick the ball away. This was the first clean shot at goal from either team.

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Now Manpreet Singh gets a green card, with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter.

Dilip Unnikrishnan from the stadium: The crowd tonight is definitely noisier than it was for the Wales match. There is the continuous drone of vuvuzelas and ‘Come on India’ chants going off at regular intervals. India have also started well but no clear cut chances yet.

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Nic Woods of New Zealand gets a green card for a clumsy challenge on Abhishek. Will India be able to capitalise on the extra-man advantage in these two minutes?

Crossover, India 0-0 New Zealand in Q1: Five minutes gone in the match, so far no clear-cut chances for either team. One positive for India though, Mandeep Singh doesn’t seem to be burdened by the suspected ankle injury.

Some light-reading: How Michael Jordan helped 34-year-old New Zealand star Simon Child return to hockey

AND WE’RE OFF!

The teams are out for the national anthems. Pushback coming up

The players are out on the pitch to warm-up

06.45 pm: Hello all and welcome to our live coverage of the Indian team at the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.

This is it, here come the knockouts. New permutations or combinations here, no complicated mathematics. It’s all simple hereon: winner moves onto the next round. Harmanpreet Singh and Co finished second in Pool D and now take on third-place finishers in Pool C New Zealand.

The last time these two teams met in the men’s World Cup was back in 2002 in a classification match. New Zealand came up 2-1 winners on that occasion. The hosts at the Kalinga Stadium will be hoping to do much better.

Stats courtesy: TMS / FIH, Screenshots courtesy: TMS / Disney+Hotstar