‘India will play differently against Canada’
BHUBANESWAR: Having given a good account of themselves in the draw against mighty Belgium in their previousmatch,indiawillfaceanother crucial encounter when they take on potentially tricky Canada in their last Pool C game on Saturday.
With four points each from two matches, both India and Belgium are favourites to advance to the knockout stages from the pool. The Indians are at the top spot thanks to a superior goal difference.
With only the pool winners earning a direct spot into the quarterfinals, a win against Canada will ensure that the hosts do not have to endure an extra knockout round.
Beating Canada should not be a tall task for the Indians, particularly given their performance in the first two matches.
They were off to an explosive start with a 5-0 thrashing of South Africa in their campaign opener. They then did well to hold Belgium to a 2-2 draw in their last match.
Looking relaxed on the eve of the match against Canada, India’s chief coach Harendra Singh asserted that his boys are determined to top the pool and will be playing a different brand of hockey in their last pool match.
“The team will be playing a different kind of hockey tomorrow. We have a target and we have to achieve it,” he said.
“We want India to finish at the top of Pool C and do not want the Indian defenders to concede any goal in the coming match against Canada,” he added.
Harendra said the team is completely relaxed and fit.
AUSSIES HAMMER CHINA
A brilliant performance saw Australia thrash China 11-0 in a Pool B match of the hockey World Cup on Friday.
Blake Govers scored a hat-trick (10th minute, 19th and 34th), Tim Brand (33rd, 55th) scored a brace, while goals from Flynn Ogilvie (49th), Jake Whetton (29th), Aran Zalewski (15th), Tom Craig (16th), Dylan Wotherspoon (38th) and Jeremy Hayward (22nd) helped Australia get their second highest win.
Australia fell short of their own World Cup record of a 12-0 win against South Africa which they set in 2010.