World No.5 England continue to rule Pool ‘D’ with better goal difference after goalless draw against India; pool toppers earn direct quarter-final berth
India captain Harmanpreet Singh during the World Cup Pool ‘D’ match against England in Rourkela yesterday. Pic/Hockey India Twitter
The Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team played out some nervous moments in the end, keeping out a penalty corner with 19 seconds left on the clock, to finish with a 0-0 draw against England in their second Pool ‘D’ match of the FIH World Cup at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Sunday. The draw however, does not spell good news for the World No.5 India, who remain in the second spot in the four-team table while No.6 England lead the group with one round of league matches to go.
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India began their World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Spain on Friday while England hammered Wales 5-0 in their first match. This draw ensures both India and England are on four points (one win and one draw) each, but the Englishmen (five goals) enjoy a comparatively better goal difference over India (two). As per the format of the 16-team four-pool tournament, the pool toppers earn a direct berth into the quarter-finals while the second and third-placed teams in the four pools have to play a crossover match to qualify for the quarters.
Also Read: Hockey World Cup 2023: India beats Spain by 2-0 in a thrilling opener
On Thursday, England face Spain while India take on Wales. The hosts must now ensure they beat Wales with a bigger margin to ensure they top Pool ‘D’ and directly qualify for the quarters. India and England are known to play fast-paced encounters and Sunday’s clash was no different. While India’s forwards Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh were guilty of missing out on a few scoring opportunities, the Indian defence spearheaded by skipper Harmanpreet did a good job to keep the English attackers at bay throughout the 60-minute encounter.
Four
Points earned by India and England after two matches
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