Hockey World Cup: India beat Wales but fail to top pool, will meet New Zealand in crossovers for a place in quarterfinals | Hockey News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: With the scoreboard pressure clearly telling after England’s comfortable win over Spain, India succumbed and were almost held by debutants Wales, until Akashdeep Singh rescued the hosts with a stunning goal and skipper Harmanpreet Singh finally opened his goal account off a drag-flick for a 4-2 win at the Kalinga Stadium.
The result meant India finished second in Pool D, and will now face the anxiety of a crossover game against New Zealand for a place in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, England earned a direct qualification to the last-eight by topping the pool, level on points with India but ahead on goal difference. England finished with a goal difference of +9 while India had +4.

England’s 4-0 win over the Spaniards earlier in the day meant India needed to win by a margin of eight goals against Wales, but a goal-less first quarter was not the start coach Graham Reid would have wanted.
As it happened
Shamsher broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, and Akashdeep doubled the lead in the 33rd minute.
However, Wales silenced the capacity crowd by striking twice in three minutes. First it was Gareth Furlong in the 43rd minute off a penalty corner and then Jacob Draper in the 45th minute off a PC as well.
That followed a moment for old-timer’s delight when Sukhjeet Singh sent the ball minus behind him to set up Akashdeep for his second goal — a brilliant tomahawk from the top of the circle to make it 3-2.
The wait for a goal off drag-flicks of Harmanpreet finally ended when he sounded the board in the 60th minute to seal the victory, but not with a scoreline India needed for a direct spot in the quarters.