FIH Hockey World Cup: India’s world cup dream shatters in penalty shootout against New Zealand

New Delhi: It was another high-scoring clash between India and New Zealand, and to get through to the quarter-finals. The nail-biting encounter in the Crossovers went into a penalty shootout where Hayward saved and booked the spot for New Zealand.

Penalty Shootout

It’s time for shootouts!

??IND 3-3 NZL??#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2023 #HockeyWorldCup2023 @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @BlackSticks pic.twitter.com/QUIKXwAyRL

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 22, 2023

After two misses, Sreejesh saved two for India before getting injured in the shootout. Indian strikers could not go past goalkeeper Hayward as New Zealand got through ahead in the World Cup.

The Game

After an eventful first quarter and a green card for each side, India managed to take a lead in the second quarter. Lalit Upadhyay was clinical to score a goal, along with great stick work by Akashdeep to steal the ball. India earned three penalty corners in three minutes and Sukhjeet Singh converted the third to get a 2-0 lead.

In between, New Zealand managed to put the ball into India’s goal post but a video referral helped India not only turn the decision but to get a penalty corner which was then converted into the second goal by Sukhjeet. After a save by the Kiwi goalkeeper, Sukhjeet raised his stick to guide the ball back into the goalpost.

Great passes between Child and Sam Lane helped New Zealand reduce the lead to 2-1 after Lane scored a goal in the 28th minute.

With regular penalties earned in the third quarter, flicker Varun Kumar gave India a 3-1 lead. In return, New Zealand earned their first penalty corner in the 43rd minute, which was converted by Kane Russell, followed by another one in the fourth quarter to equalise. The difference in the game was the better conversion of PCs by New Zealand.