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The Indian men's hockey team and New Zealand will battle it out for the right to play Belgium in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
The crucial crossover game between India, who finished second in Pool D, and New Zealand, who ended up in third place in Pool C, is certain to draw a capacity crowd at the Kalinga Stadium with home fans hoping to cheer the Men in Blue on to a second consecutive World Cup quarterfinal.
Back in 2018, the Indians earned a direct ticket to the last-eight stage before going down against the Netherlands at the same venue.
IND v NZL match preview and details
Date: 22nd January 2023
Time: 7 PM IST
Harmanpreet Singh and co. are up against a side that has failed to come into their own during the group stages.
New Zealand have clearly struggled to score throughout the course of the tournament after getting the ball within the vicinity of goal. Greg Nicol's boys had to work hard to beat minnows Chile by a 3-1 margin before crashing to a 0-4 defeat against the Netherlands.
The Black Sticks created several chances against Malaysia as well, but poor finishing allowed the Asian Tigers to coast to a 3-2 win.
Kane Russell's famed drag-flick skills are yet to be witnessed at the 2023 Hockey World Cup even as New Zealand failed to convert any of their PCs in their first two games against Chile and the Netherlands.
Sam Lane scored a quick second goal off a penalty corner for his team midway through the final quarter against Malaysia.
As for the Indians, Harmanpreet Singh has been off target with his short corners even as most teams are still coming to terms with some outstanding PC defense that has been the hallmark of the ongoing tournament.
Hardik Singh, who sustained a hamstring injury during the game against England, has been replaced by Raj Kumar Pal while Connor Greentree replaced the injured Jake Smith ahead of New Zealand's game against the Netherlands.
Graham Reid's boys will be hoping to overcome New Zealand without breaking into too much of a sweat with the quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday (January 24).
The pressure will be on the Indians, who will be hoping to capitalize on the home advantage in the midst of a boisterous Odisha crowd.
India lead 24-15 as far as the overall head-to-head numbers are concerned with both teams playing out 5 draws since they first met at the Rome Olympics in 1960.
India vs New Zealand prediction for Hockey World Cup 2023
India 2 - 0 New Zealand
India vs New Zealand Hockey World Cup 2023 match Live Streaming details
India vs New Zealand Hockey World Cup match will take place on Sunday, January 22, 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.
Viewers in New Zealand can watch the match on Spark Sport.
