The Indian men's hockey team will take on a confident England side in their second group match of the Hockey World Cup 2023 tournament.
The Men in Blue got past Spain 2-0 while England vanquished neighbours Wales 5-0 in their opening day outings at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
In what could be a crucial contest to determine which of the two teams gains direct access to the Hockey World Cup quarterfinals from Pool D, England and India, who have been involved in several close games in the recent past, are poised to play out a thriller.
It was Hardik Singh who sealed the deal for the Indians with a 57th minute strike against Great Britain as the eight-time gold medalists cruised to a 3-1 win in the Olympics quarterfinals.
Nick Bandurak and Sam Ward ensured that England ended regulation time with a 3-3 draw in the Hockey Pro League last season before Graham Reid's boys won the second leg 4-3.
Bandurak was at it again, scoring a brace as England manufactured three goals in the space of six minutes to hold India to a stunning 4-4 draw at the Commonwealth Games after trailing 1 - 4 a minute into the final quarter.
There is little to separate the two great hockey powers as they head to battle in Rourkela.
IND vs ENG match preview & details
Date: 15th January 2023
Time: 7 PM IST
An in-form Great Britain side got past the mighty Dutch by a 3-0 margin in a Hockey Pro League game month last month and as England captain David Ames told Sportskeeda, the side are well prepared for the big event.
"When you have the chance to play against the top nations it's always nice to beat them, always nice to win. We've had some good competition over the last few months. I think our squad and our guys are in a really nice place," Ames stated.
The Indians lead England 10 - 7 (not counting matches against Great Britain) from 1975 onwards, but the numbers mean little heading into the crucial match on Sunday evening.
The dangerous Sam Ward was involved in a couple of vital assists during the game against Wales, which was enough to earn him the Player of the Match award although he did not figure on the score sheet while Liam Ansell was on target twice.
For the Indians, captain Harmanpreet Singh will aim to be on target with the short corners while the forward line will need to click against the formidable English defence comprising Jack Waller, James Albery and skipper Ames himself.
India vs England prediction for Hockey World Cup 2023
India 4 - England 3
India vs England Hockey World Cup 2023 match Live Streaming details
India vs England Hockey World Cup match will take place on Friday, January 13, 2023, at 7.00 pm IST. Star Sports Network has acquired the broadcast rights for the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup in India.
The match will be live on Star Sports First, Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2 SD, and on the Disney + Hotstar App across the Star Sports Network from 7:00 pm IST.
BT Sport will broadcast the match live in England.