Bhubaneswar: India will take on New Zealand for the quarter-final spot at Kalinga Stadium here Sunday.
The exit of key midfielder Hardik Singh along with a misfiring forward line can become a headache for India in today’s match.
The last time when the Black Sticks team defeated India was in the 2018 Commonwealth Games semifinals. The second time India lost to the New Zealand team was at the Olympic test event in 2019. But the last two matches in the Pro League went in favour of India.
Rajkumar Pal, a gifted young player who has proven himself more than capable, will be placed squarely in a pressure situation as a result of an injured Hardik Singh’s official exclusion from the remaining games. It demonstrates the team’s confidence in both its captain and its defence that the management chose to bring in a young striker as a replacement rather than the more experienced Jugraj Singh, who might potentially serve as an option for Harmanpreet. It also conveys the team’s obvious intent on generating more points.
Though the Indian team will have the home advantage, overcoming the mental blockage will be the toughest thing to do in today’s match.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Played: 44 | India won: 24 | New Zealand won: 15 | Draw: 5
The last five matches played between India and New Zealand
November 4, 2022: India 7-4 New Zealand (FIH Pro League)
October 28, 2022: India 4-3 New Zealand (FIH Pro League)
July 24, 2021: India 3-2 New Zealand (Tokyo Olympics)
August 21, 2019: India 5-0 New Zealand (Olympic test event)
August 18, 2019: India 1-2 New Zealand (Olympic test event)
PNN