India vs Wales Hockey World Cup 2023 Highlights: IND win 4-2, to play NZ in crossover

India will face New Zealand in the crossover on Sunday. Wales will go back home with their heads held high. India went all guns blazing in the second half and were putting Wales under all kinds of pressure. Wales responded by doing the unthinkable and scoring twice. All the permutations and combinations we spoke about before this game can be thrown in the dustbin now. England have finished top of the group, India are second. They both are on seven points but England have a goal difference of seven while India have three. 

A penalty corner, Harmanpreet on the drag flick and a goal at last for him. If this leads to him finding form, it is a major positive for India to take from this match. Final minute of the match this and so, India are definitely going to play the crossover now. 

56 mins: They are attacking whenever they get a chance and gave India some worries after the ball came in from the right. It is somehow cleared by the hosts.  

54 mins: A shot from Abhishek goes into goal but it seems to have gone off the body of some player on the way. It goes into goal but the umpire has gone upstairs. It is ruled out. India 3-2 Wales. 

Big chance for India wasted away. Mandeep races forward, squares it to Sukhjeet who is in acres of space but with the keeper right in front of him, he hits it straight into him. That should have been a goal. 

45 mins: A nice interchange between Akashdeep and Sukhjeet on the right and the former then smashes it in. India's lead restored.  

An extraordinary fightback from Wales, the Kalinga stadium has been silenced and everyone except a tiny pocket of Welsh fans have long faces or stunned smiles. In all probability, India will be playing New Zealand in the crossover on Sunday. 

44 mins: Another PC for Wales, Furlong's flick is saved quite sensationally by Sreejesh. But then it comes to Jacob Draper who had pushed the PC in and he smashes it in at an angle. Wales have equalised. Who woulda thunk, eh?

42 mins: Well that wasn't in the script was it? PC for Wales and Gareth Furlong converts it emphatically. India's lead halved, they will now have to score seven more goals to pip England. Gareth Furlong is the first player to score a World Cup goal for Wales. 

India play a double battery and the ball is pushed to Amit Rohidas, whose flick is easily dealt with. Wales had appealed against this PC and they lost a referral but India need to somehow convert these. 

Mandeep not allowed to enter the circle as Draper maneouvres him to the left before putting in the tackle and taking the ball. Mandeep appeals but there wasn't much in it and the Indian himself doesn't push his case. 

Penalty corner for India and they try a variation. Varun Kumar takes but his flick is a weak one.  

32 mins: That's a field goal to boot. A penalty corner for Wales that India defend and then India race forward. A neat one-two beween Mandeep and Akashdeep and the latter then scores into the bottom right. 

Pushback for the second half. Quite an exciting half of hockey coming up!

The numbers show that India have been dominant and yet, Wales would be happy about how they have held up thus far. India have made 12 circle penetrations to Wales' 5, they have had 4 shots while Wales have had none and India have had 82 percent possession in the opposition half. 

That was a sensational shot from Shamsher to score India's first goal but the fact remains that Wales, especially their keeper, seemed to have switched off after Harmanpreet's drag was blocked off. India have been the dominant side but Wales have had some half chances themselves. Eight goals are still on but six field goals look quite unlikely indeed considering how Wales are putting numbers in defence. 

James Carson makes his way into the circle and then takes a rather poor shot. India then stream forward Mandeep pulls it into the empty cricle and Welsh keeper Reynolds-Cotterill emphatically kicks the ball out of his area. 

21 mins: Harmanpreet's drag flick is blocked by a charger, Shamsher receives it, makes his way into the circle and then shoots from the edge of it. It lasers into goal and India lead 1-0. Seven more to go…

Mandeep brought down inside the circle as he tries to get to a pass. LEt's see if India can make something out of this. 

Some big cheers as Vivek Sagar Prasad shoots from miles out and it clatters into goal. No touches inside the circle though and so it is not a goal. Wales will be pretty happy with how things are going so far. They even have much more of the ball in this quarter than they did in the last. 

16 mins: Abhishek fights hard with a crowd of black shirts surrounding him and eventually wins a penalty corner. However, Harmanpreet could not pick up the drag, it comes out to Manpreet who takes the shot and that is blocked away. Harmanpreet's poor form on the drag flick continues. 

Right then, can India find a few goals here. That is the only way they can hope to get to that magic number of eight.  

India have had far more circle penetrations, as one would expect, but Wales would be happier of the two sides. Their defence has held up well. 

India go on the counter at the end of which Mandeep and Akashdeep both take shots but they are blocked by the Welsh keeper. 

13 mins: Rhodri with a cutback from the right accross the face of goal. Any kind of stick on that pass would have put Sreejesh's goal in danger. A close call for India.