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At Bhubaneswar, the Indians are without two of their key strikers.
SV Sunil, who has the agility and the guile to outmaneuver the best defensive units on his day, and Ramandeep Singh, whose incisional assists and opportunistic strikes are well known in the hockey world, are sadly not part of the unit that are currently endeavoring to scale a peak which Indian teams in the recent past have failed to conquer.
Sardar Singh is also not available to man the Indian midfield but it is indeed quite remarkable that in spite of the absence of a few men who have been an indispensable part of the national team, the Indians have earned a direct ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals ahead of the higher-ranked Belgians in Pool C.
Harendra Singh's team have had an unbeaten run thus far in a World Cup that has already witnessed a fair share of upsets - and credit is due no doubt to a young, skillful, and determined bunch who truly believe that they can go all the way.
Ever since Mandeep Singh scored an early opening goal against South Africa to steady the nerves of his teammates, and the nation, every single player of the eighteen-member squad has done his bit for the cause of the side.
We take a look at the performance of five Indian players whose contributions have been truly outstanding, and whose efforts have been significant in influencing the final outcome of the pool matches at the Hockey World Cup.
#5 Varun Kumar
Varun Kumar was at Gold Coast, Breda, Jakarta, and Muscat. What's more, he was part of the team that began the year by playing in the Four-Nations Invitational in New Zealand and has been tidying up near the backline, helping to convert defence into attack, and sending in some scorching drag-flicks as well.
Ever since making his mark in the Asia Cup at Dhaka last year, Varun Kumar has cemented his place in the Indian squad and is the only player to have been selected for every major tournament this year.
When India was trailing In the crucial encounter against Belgium, it was Varun's powerful drag-flick that resulted in the penalty stroke which fellow-defender Harmanpreet scored from midway through the third quarter.
The equaliser changed the complexion of the game as the Indians changed gear and dominated the proceedings for the rest of the match.
Short corners have played a vital role at Bhubaneswar thus far, and in Rupinder's absence Varun might well be required to fire in a few more in the knockouts that follow.
#4 Simranjeet Singh
Just before the Indians headed to Breda to take part in the prestigious Champions Trophy, Simranjeet was called in as a last-minute replacement for Akashdeep who was ruled out with an injury.
The 21-year-old striker from Punjab who had made his senior debut in the Four-Nations in New Zealand along with Dilpreet, performed admirably at Breda, combining well with Sunil, Lalit, and Mandeep.
Simranjeet has been in prime form at Bhubaneswar scoring twice in India's opener against South Africa.
Simranjeet's goals against Mark Hopkins' side helped the Indians take command of the proceedings in the final quarter which effectively shunted South Africa out of the match.
Yet again, against Belgium, Simranjeet found the back of the net early in the fourth quarter to give India the lead which put the Red Lions on the back foot before they finally managed a late equalizer.
The youngster from Punjab was not as effective in India's last pool match against the Canadians but Simranjeet will need to continue beating the best goalkeepers in the world if the Indians are to advance to the final stages of the competition.
#3 Lalit Upadhyay
Lalit has been part of the set up for several years now but the Indian team is now benefiting from the incredible skills of the 24-year-old striker.
Lalit who was part of the Indian team that took part in the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast was not initially picked to travel to Breda - but an injury to Sumit Kumar meant that the Varanasi lad not only made it to the Champions Trophy but was a key member of the squad that won the silver medal.
Lalit who displayed his spectacular ball-control at Jakarta, by picking up an overhead pass midair, and tapping it in first-time, has begun well at Bhubaneswar.
A goal against South Africa was the icing on the cake but Lalit was also responsible for setting up some crafty moves.
Two goals in the final quarter of the match against Canada was proof enough that Lalit's scoring abilities are very much intact, just as his knack of picking out his teammates with some deft precision passing.
#2 Akashdeep Singh
Akashdeep Singh was not at his brilliant best at Gold Coast and missed out the Champions Trophy on account of a hamstring injury, but delighted the galleries at Jakarta with his eye-catching tomahawks in the pool matches of the Asian Games.
At the Asian Champions Trophy, at Muscat, the Indian think-tank decided to utilize Akashdeep's skills as a link-man, and the 23-year-old has displayed maturity well beyond his years to adapt to the new role just as effortlessly as he fires in the stunning reverse hits.
With three strikers lurking in the circle and waiting to latch on to Akashdeep's probing passes, the Indians have sought to convert every circle entry into either a goalbound shot or a PC - and the very fact that Harendra's boys have managed to score 12 goals in three matches is confirmation of the fact that the move has delivered results.
#1 Harmanpreet Singh
The 22-year old from Amritsar is ice-cool, tidy, and solid near the back line but fiery and lethal as ever in the striking circle as he sends in the searing drag-flicks which are powerful enough to test the best goalkeepers and runners in the business.
At Bhubaneswar, Harmanpreet Singh is also seen roving deep into opposition territory as he covers ground rapidly and aids the men up front in order to create a more effective high press.
The drag-flicker scored a stunner in the opening quarter against Canada which allowed the Indians to settle into the match.
Harmanpreet also took the flick which resulted in a deflection that allowed Mandeep to score against South Africa - and has been the mainstay of the Indian defence who have conceded just three goals thus far.
As far as the PCs are concerned, one would assume that a lot more is yet to come as the Indians have no doubt saved the best for the knockouts, but Harmanpreet's overall role extends well beyond that of a drag-flicker - and Harendra will expect the lad from Amritsar to be at his very best against the Netherlands - and perhaps beyond.
