Women's Hockey WC: Indian team aim for perfect execution against China

The Indian women's team put up a spirited show to kickstart their campaign with a thrilling 1-1 draw against England in their first match of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 at the packed Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen on Sunday.

India will now square off against China in their second Pool B match of the tournament in Amstelveen on Tuesday.

Reflecting on the performance, Indian women's team chief coach Janneke Schopman said, "I think we started the game really well, creating a penalty corner in the opening minute. England were dangerous at times but we managed to play well on the ball and defended calmly most of the time."

"We were unlucky in our penalty corner execution and in the end, the two green cards disturbed our rhythm a little. Overall, I'm quite happy with our performance but also know we can be better in certain areas," she added.

The two teams have faced each other three times this year, with India winning all three matches. India registered a 2-0 win in the 3rd/4th Placed Match at the Asia Cup and won both the FIH Hockey Pro League Matches (7-1 and 2-1) earlier this year against their Asian counterparts.

Meanwhile, China also played out a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening match of the tournament.

Captain Savita, who made some remarkable saves in the opening match said, "We knew it was going to be a high-pressure match, and I am happy that we showed great character on the pitch. I think we could have done better and converted our chances to win the match, nevertheless, we have picked up a valuable point against a very strong team. So, it's a positive start for us.