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The Indian men's hockey team bowed out of contention for a 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup quarterfinal spot after going down to New Zealand in a pulsating shootout that had to be decided via the sudden-death route.
Both teams were locked 3-3 in regulation time after the home side squandered a two-goal cushion on two occasions against an inspired Black Sticks team who were not shy of taking the attack to their fancied opponents.
A nervy shootout witnessed players from both sides miss a flurry of attempts after New Zealand came tantalizingly close to scoring the winner twice in a fascinating final quarter that the Indians would want to forget in a hurry.
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Let's take a look at 5 reasons that led to the downfall of a team that was widely expected to make it to the business end of the competition at the ongoing Hockey World Cup.
#5 India fail to shift gears in crucial knockout games
Back in 2018, Sjoerd Marijne's Indian team defeated the Black Sticks comfortably in the Four-Nations tournament in New Zealand ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Manpreet Singh and co. began as the overwhelming favorites against New Zealand in the semifinals of the prestigious quadrennial event but ended up going down 2-3 much to the shock and dismay of the Indian hockey fraternity.
History was repeated with the Indians getting the better of New Zealand twice in their Hockey Pro League games at the Kalinga Stadium last October, but looked all at sea against the same squad in the fateful final quarter of the Hockey World Cup crossover game.
Unlike champion teams like Australia who went all the way to the podium after seeming to struggle in their opening games (as they did in the 2010 and 2018 Hockey World Cup), the Indians do not appear to have the ability to raise their level as the tournament progresses.
The ever-dependable Harmanpreet Singh missing a sudden death shootout under pressure is a classic example of the Indian players choking up in really big moments.
#4 Inability to top Pool D proves costly for the Indians in Hockey World Cup
While England registered big wins against both Wales and Spain (5-0 and 5-1 respectively), the Indians fell short.
After losing their first-leg encounter against Spain in the Hockey Pro League, the home team appeared to be a tad too respectful of their opponents, unlike England, who repeatedly exposed weak links in the Spanish defence time and again.
The Indians were also at a disadvantage while having to take on Spain in their opening game as opposed to England, who had a lung opener against Wales and used the game to find their bearings ahead of the bigger matches in Pool D.
That said, India's inability to rattle World Cup debutants Wales set the stage for what was to follow.
#3 Mighty India struggle against Hockey World Cup debutants Wales
While the task may have been difficult, the Indians gave the appearance of being a clueless bunch in search of a minimum seven-goal target against Wales.
England's unexpected big win against Wales left India with no other option but to push hard for a flurry of goals against a team that had suffered heavy defeats to England and Spain.
Boasting a forward line that is feared far and wide, the Indians were expected to provide spectators with a glimpse of their scoring prowess but instead made heavy weather of their final group game.
A hard-fought 4-2 win over a side ranked 14th as per the FIH rankings was the last thing Indian fans were hoping for - and signs that all wasn't well in the Indian camp were clear as crystal during the game against Wales.
#2 New Zealand get their PCs right against India after failing badly in the group stages
The Indian think-tank were well aware of what Kane Russell is capable of but would have been stunned by the sudden transformation in the quality of PC executions for a side that failed to convert a single PC against Chile and the Netherlands.
The Black Sticks scored three from open play against Chile and failed to get going with their drag-flicks against the Netherlands as well.
Sam Lane finally scored one of a PC - New Zealand's second goal against Malaysia - even as the Black Sticks went down 2-3.
How then did New Zealand score from both their short corners in the crucial Hockey World Cup knockout game against India?
Kane Russell came up with a scorcher while going direct while the second was converted off a rebound even after the drag flick wasn't stopped properly.
While the Indians did convert a couple of short corners themselves, their inability to score when it mattered most proved to be their undoing.
#1 Despite a stroke of luck or two, the Indians failed to capitalize in Hockey World Cup crossover game
Over the course of a thrilling final quarter, New Zealand came close to scoring the winner on a couple of occasions in the Hockey World Cup crossover against India.
Sam Hiha had a chance to score from close range with the Indian defence beaten all ends up even as the scoreboard read 3-3 with less than eight minutes left on the clock in the Hockey World Cup crossover game.
Krishan Pathak pulled off a couple of incredible saves to keep India alive and was called into action in the dying seconds as the ball seemed headed into the back of the net before the Indian goalkeeper made a desperate lunge to direct it away from the danger zone.
New Zealand were reduced to ten men as Nick Ross picked up a yellow card in the 54th minute but Harmanpreet Singh and co. failed to seize the opportunity even with a one-man advantage.
In the shootout, Shamsher Singh was given a lifeline as he was offered a retake after missing one in sudden death (he also missed one earlier) but failed to score yet again.
There was little the Indians could complain about with all of their group matches scheduled for the evening with the backing of a vociferous crowd - and the crossover accidentally so - while several teams had to cope with daytime conditions.
The four-decade wait for Hockey World Cup glory continues for the Indian men's hockey team who possibly missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
