What this World Cup campaign has begun to offer is something different – a team capable of adjusting to the game in front of it. (Hockey India)India women maintained their unbeaten steak in the Hockey World Cup and drew 0-0 with England in their final Pool D match and made their way into the next round. India thrashed South Africa 6-1 in their last match while also holding Olympic medallists China in the opener. Due to those results, a draw will be enough for the women in blue to make their way to the next round.
India are currently second of the table in Pool D with 4 points with China topping the table with 7 points. England, meanwhile, have 3 points and only a win here can take them through.
India will be wary of the attacking threat that England possess, having lost to the same team 2-0 in the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad earlier this year. England’s 4-0 win over South Africa underlined their attacking threat, although they subsequently lost 2-4 to China.
FOLLOW IND-W vs ENG-W HOCKEY WORLD CUP LIVE
India can almost see the next round from here as England will rue the missed chances from countless penalty corners. Howard with a venomous reverse stroke and the India goalie Bichu saves!!! And that's it!!! Match ends 0-0 and india are through!!
Just over 5 mins left and India have almost done it. England have one foot out the door. Baljeet with a good defensive touch and England have subbed out their keeper for a forward player. AAAND ENGLAND ARE INCHES AWAY FROM SCORING BUT RAYER CAN'T GET THE CRUCIAL TOUCH!!
India stand firm as they block waves and waves of England attack. There's another penalty corner now. India have taken a referral now. The PC stands and India lose their referral. England have now taken a referral for the ball hitting an Indian player before going towards the India goal. Looks like it. And that's a penalty corner that India defend.
4th and last quarter starts and England are in the ascendency again as india continue defending desperately. They just have under 15 mins to hold on.
Owsley now maraudes forward and forces a penalty corner. But that is dealt with. But how long can India keep these shots out as England are going all out in attack. There's the buzzer and the third quarter ends. England now have just 15 mins to claw out a win or India will go through if the scores stay the same.
Bingham with a brilliant run inside the India half which draws a foul. Ishika the culprit as she gets a green card. England have a PC out of nothing now. The penalty corner yields another PC. And there's a melee near the goal mouth which yields another PC. And that has thankfully gone out as India can get away.
A foul as Tessa falls inside the box and there's a penalty corner now for England. The shot is saved but goes out for a long corner. Big reverse shot again and Savita saves again!!
England have the ball now after a wayward India pass and they can build from behind. Remember, England have to win this match while India will go through with a draw. A long corner now for England but Howard can't get a shot away!!
We are into the third quarter and India will get us underway. Navneet with a clear chance in the early going but that has found the board behind the goal!!
Long corner for England in the last minute of this quarter as Jyoti makes a brilliant save. But England are relentless and look the more likely to score. And the buzzer blows for half time.
Trouble for india as England have a penalty corner now which is kept out!! The ball still with England but Curtis plays it out. And another penalty corner for the English as they find Chanu's foot. Nothing from it.
Lalremsiami does brilliantly to get India a penalty corner now. Can India score? And Deepika with a shot that was going towards goal, only for the keeper to make the save!!!
Salima Tete with a powerful shot from the left hand side which is saved by the England goalkeeper!!! And England are on the counter but the Indian defence stands steadfast!!
Here come England again as Rayer flies across the right side but is smothered by the Indian defenders. Atkinson was shouting for the ball which did not come. England should have done better. Meanwhile, Ishika finds herself in a good position in the England half but can't score.
On to the second quarter and England makes their way into the Indian box but Hamilton gives away a free hit. India breathe a sigh of relief.
And there goes the buzzer which signals the end of quarter 1 with both teams looking evenly matched. India were dominant in the early stages while England grew into the match. It's 0-0 after Q1.
Proper end to end stuff here as the two teams trade possession. Hamilton gets a green card and England are down to 10 for a bit. Can India take advantage? They can't as we head towards the end of this quarter.
Hamilton now wins England their first penalty corner. First real test of India's defence here. Easily defended by the Indians as Jyoti with the crucial interception. Ohhhh!!! Owsley with a lashing shot which goes wide!!!
England can't get away here as India get another penalty corner. Deepika takes it but it falls to one of her teammate who can't get the ball inside the goal!! Another close effort.
India get another penalty corner now as the heavens have opened up and it has it has started raining. And a shot is lashed towards the England goal but just kisses the side netting!!
Ishika has a huge chance now and she does brilliantly to cut across an England defender and gets away a shot but it's saved!! India get a penalty corner and Navneet's strike hits an Indian player but finds its way into the net but that's disallowed!!
We are underway and India are keeping possession nicely, regularly finding their way into the England half in the early goings but are currently missing the final pass.
Here come the two teams in the middle. India in their new saffron kits and England in blue. Time for the anthems, England's first, followed by India's.
IND-W:
Drew 2-2 vs China
Won 6-1 vs South Africa
ENG-W
Won 4-0 vs South Africa
Lost 2-4 vs China
An unbeaten India Women's team will take on England as they aim to finish on top of Pool D of the Hockey World Cup. India started their tournament with a draw against China before routing South Africa 6-1. They are currently on 4 points and are on second on the table, while China are top with 7 points and are already through to the next round. A draw will be enough to get them through to the next round.
Followers of hockey of a certain vintage would remember that it was South Africa who denied Indian women their first visit to an Olympics in 32 years. In the qualifying tournament in Delhi, they beat the home team 3-1 in a winner-takes-all clash in 2012. South Africa weren’t considered one of the fancied teams in women’s hockey even then.
That the group match between the two teams at the 2026 FIH World Cup was seen mainly as a chance for India to boost their goal difference says everything about the contrasting paths the two teams have taken over the last decade and a half. In that sense, the 6-1 win for Sjoerd Marijne’s side was on expected lines, and India now have to avoid defeat against England on Thursday to make the next round.
