India women eye hockey World Cup second round against desperate England
Unbeaten India will look to seal their place in the second round of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup when they take on a desperate England in their final Pool D match on Thursday.
A draw will be enough for India to finish top of the pool, but the team will be keen to secure qualification with another strong performance after holding world No. 4 and Olympic silver medallists China to a 2-2 draw before thrashing South Africa 6-1.
India and China are level on four points, but India lead the pool on goal difference after scoring eight goals and conceding three. England, on three points, have no such cushion and need a win to keep their campaign alive.
The contrasting stakes make Thursday's contest particularly intriguing: India can afford to be cautious, while England have little room for error.
India's biggest strength so far has been their attacking variety. Six different players scored in the 6-1 demolition of South Africa, highlighting the depth of a squad in which 11 players are making their World Cup debuts.
Deepika and Navneet Kaur have scored twice each, while Lalremsiami and Sunelita Toppo have added pace and penetration to the forward line.
The defence has also looked more assured. Led by Sushila Chanu, India conceded just two penalty corners against South Africa, while goalkeeper Bichu Devi and veteran Savita Punia, who has more than 300 international appearances, have provided solidity at the back.
England, however, will present a tougher challenge.
They defeated India 2-0 in the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad earlier this year and have the ability to dominate possession before striking on the counter. Their 4-0 win over South Africa underlined their attacking threat, although they subsequently lost 4-2 to China.
India coach Sjoerd Marijne has warned his players against becoming complacent after their strong start.
"We shouldn't rest easy after holding China to a draw and defeating South Africa. England are a very good team and gave China a tough challenge. They are ranked higher than us and have already defeated us this year, so we need to play cautiously," Marijne said.
He also called for greater precision in India's passing.
"The quality of passing should be better. We always talk in India about individual skills, but international hockey is all about passing. We were a little bumpy today in passing, not efficient with the direction or receiving," he said.
India's challenge will be to retain the attacking freedom that produced six goals against South Africa while addressing the areas identified by their coach.
The team's confidence, meanwhile, extends beyond its results. There is a growing belief that this could be the tournament in which Indian women's hockey takes another significant step forward.
Savita had set the ambition even before the tournament began, saying India wanted to build on its fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics and target a podium finish at the World Cup.
"Whether anyone expects us or not, we have high expectations for ourselves," Savita said. "This time, in the World Cup, we want to go one step further and finish on the podium so that Indian women's hockey has a rich legacy, just like men's hockey."
