Hockey World Cup

Germany, who had finished second behind Belgium in Pool B on goal difference after both teams had finished with seven points from two wins and a draw, scored just before the end of the first quarter and then added three goals in the second period as they led 4-0 at half-time. The first two goals came off two faulty defensive traps by the French.

India led 2-0 towards the end of the first half and then 3-1 in the third quarter but made basic errors and allowed the Black Sticks to fight back and level scores 3-3 and take the matter into a shoot-out. The Indians earned 11 penalty corners but could score off only two. They had 18 circle entries but could manage only 12 shots at the goal.

India failed to capitalise on a 3-1 lead in the third quarter and allowed New Zealand to score twice to end the match 3-3 in regulation time. Lalit Upadhyay (17th min), Sukhjeet Singh (24th min) and Varun Kumar (40th min) scored for India in regulation time while Sam Lane (28th min), Kane Russell (43rd min) and Sean Findlay (49th min) scored for the Black Sticks.

Spain fought back from a goal down and scored twice within a minute to take a 2-1 lead. However, Malaysia scored the equaliser (2-2) in the 48th minute and then survived waves of Spanish attacks and a barrage of penalty corners to take the match to the tie-break shoot-out.

Hardik Singh was the livewire in the midfield in India's first two matches in Pool D and sustained a hamstring injury during the clash with England on January 15. Having rested the youngster for the match against Wales, and subsequent assessment, Hardik has now been ruled out of the World Cup, Hockey India confirmed on Saturday.

During the game, Belgium's star striker Tom Boon opened his account in the World Cup with a 5-goal performance, taking his team's goal difference to +11. With a draw in the previous game against Germany, Belgium needed a big win against Japan to try and seal their spot at the top of Pool B and earn direct qualification to the quarterfinals and a first half hat trick by Boon gave them a 4-goal lead.

In the final game of the day, which was also the last game of the pool stages, Germany needed a win by 9 goals to overtake Belgium in the Pool B standings and claim direct entry into the quarterfinals, but against an in-from South Korea team it proved to be too big a mountain to climb for the Honamas.

Australia, who started the proceedings at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here on Friday as the World No. 1, rode on four goals, including a hat-trick, by seasoned Blake Govers to finish their league proceedings unbeaten with two wins and a draw. With Australia enjoying a huge goal-difference advantage, Argentina needed to beat France by at least a 15-goal margin to overtake the Kookaburras, finish on top of the table and bag the quarterfinal berth.

Reid was not surprised by his forwards failing to take an early lead against Wales, who packed their defence. "If you see the England-Wales game, they did not score till the second quarter. It's quite common against a team that plays like they do to have the first quarter bumping head against the defensive wall and trying to find a way through.

Midfielder Shamsher Singh (22'), Akashdeep Singh (33', 46') and Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh (60') scored the goals for India while Gareth Furlong (43') and Jacob Draper (45') netted for World Cup debutants Wales. India will now play New Zealand, who came third in Pool C, for a place in the quarter-finals in the crossovers.