India beat minnows Wales 4-2 in their final Pool D game but were unable to qualify for the Quarterfinals, and instead made it to the crossovers, where they will face New Zealand on January 22 in Bhubaneswar. After England's 4-0 victory over Spain, India needed to score a minimum of seven goals, including six field goals, to trump the Three Lions but fell quite short of the required target.
Slow start hurts India
With a plethora of goals to be scored in order to top Pool D, India were expected to go flying from the get-go. But this was not the case after the side failed to get a single Penalty corner in the first Quarter. But just two minutes into the second Quarter, they earned their dues with a penalty corner but failed to make anything of the same.
Their second chance came via another penalty corner in the 21st minute, and this time the team made it count, with Shamsher Singh giving India an all-important lead to their side in the 21st minute.
The side kept the pressure on their opponents in the first half, and it paid off in the 32nd minute, just after halftime. This time, it was Akashdeep Singh who scored for India, a field goal from distance that oozed class as India proceeded to dominate their opponent, but things were to take a turn for the worse after that goal.
Wales comeback derails India
The match belonged to India from the get-go, as Wales failed to make any of their penalty corners count. But this changed for a period of five minutes when the Welshmen fought back to score twice and level the score.
Their first goal came in the 42nd minute, via a penalty corner which was converted by Gareth Furlong. With the score reading 2-1, Wales kept the pressure on their opponents and won their third PC in the 44th minute, with Jacob Draper scoring his second goal in the 44th minute as Wales went into the final quarter with the scores level at 2-2.
India survive but still fall
Akashdeep scored his second goal in the 45th minute, just as the side opened the fourth Quarter. It was a lovely field goal from the midfielder, and joining him just a minute from time was Harmanpreet Singh, who scored from a PC as India sealed a 4-2 win.
The win did nothing to their position on the table, with Wales' two goals meaning they needed seven in the second half to go above England. With an almost impossible task at hand, India went from looking to beat England to beat Wales and scored their important goals to ensure atleast a victory and an unbeaten run in the 2023 edition of the world cup heading into the crossovers, where they will face Pool C's third-placed side in New Zealand.
