Hardik was India’s best player in their two hockey matches against Spain and England but pullled his hamstring in the fourth quarter of India’s o-o draw against England on Sunday.
Hardik sustained the injury while playing against England in Rourkela. On Thursday, the home team will face Wales. However, an official confirmation of his status is still pending. According to a team source, no decision on a replacement has been made, and the team is unlikely to request one in the future.
The match ended the way it began: Hockey World Cup
A shot, a save, and the attacker holding his head in disbelief, puzzled at how his goal-bound attempt was kept out. But Nicholas Bandurak wasn’t the only one left wondering. After the end of a breathless 60 minutes. Players on both sides of the pitch, the two dugouts, and the four overflowing stands were all equally astonished.
But for a game in which no goals were scored, the proceedings on the field had more drama than most. It was intense from the word go, end-to-end action for a few minutes before England took charge. For almost the entire first half, it didn’t look like India’s game. England did what it had promised – push hard, go for the attack and keep the foot on the pedal. That earned the team five penalty corners in two minutes and only some desperate running by Amit Rohidas and Manpreet Singh denied the men in red.
A convincing victory against Spain : World Cup
India might have registered a convincing victory against Spain in their opening encounter of the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023. However, Men in Blue’s coach Graham Reid feels that the hosts will face a tougher test against higher-ranked. England in their second encounter at Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday.
England is ranked fifth and is above. India and a victory on Sunday will help the hosts put one foot in the quarterfinal stages of the competition.
Graham Reid’s India and England’s second group-stage game ended in a draw with both teams sharing a point each in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023. Both teams had equal opportunities in scoring goals which they failed to capitalize on. The last group stage match is going to decide which of the two will top the pool. Make it to the quarterfinals directly. Which will ultimately boil down to goal difference.
