Amstelveen, Unbeaten and brimming with confidence after a strong start to their campaign, India will look to seal a 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 here on Thursday.
“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 have already beaten India 2-0 in the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad earlier this year and possess the ability to dominate possession before hitting on the counter. Their 4-0 win over South Africa underlined their attacking threat, although they subsequently lost 2-4 to China.
They are ranked higher than us and have already defeated us this year, so we need to play cautiously,” Marijne said.
Savita, the experienced goalkeeper who has crossed 300 international appearances, had set the target even before the tournament began.
A draw will be enough for India to progress as pool toppers, but the team would prefer to secure its passage with another strong performance after holding world number four and Olympic silver medallists China to a 2-2 draw before thrashing South Africa 6-1. Six different players scored in the 6-1 demolition of South Africa, underlining the depth in a team where 11 players are making their World Cup debuts. India’s biggest strength so far has been their attacking variety. Deepika and Navneet Kaur have already scored twice each, while Lalremsiami and Sunelita Toppo have provided pace and penetration in the forward line. The team’s confidence, meanwhile, stems from more than just results. There is a growing belief that this could be the tournament when Indian women’s hockey finally takes the next step.
