With an eye on a berth in the final four, the Indian women’s team will face off against Australia in a virtual quarterfinal clash of the women’s hockey World Cup, here on Sunday.
India lost 0-2 to the defending champions and world No. 1 Netherlands in its opening second-round match last Friday, but remain in contention for the qualification to the last-four stage.
Under the new format adopted this time, India will not face China again and the points from their first-round contest will be carried forward.
India currently has one point from the draw against China. Australia currently sits above India on goals scored following a draw with China in its previous encounter. The Netherlands have six points after beating India and Australia earlier in the first round and China has two.
India’s route to the semifinals is straightforward: if the Netherlands beats China, a win over Australia would take the ninth-ranked Indian team through.
However, if China manages to upset the in-form Netherlands, India’s campaign will come to an end.
Nevertheless, India’s defensive resilience has been one of the biggest positives of its campaign.
Goalkeepers Savita and Bichu Devi made several crucial saves in the goalless draw against England, with India successfully defending all 12 penalty corners. They also restricted the Netherlands to just two goals from Penalty Corners (PCs), with the Dutch failing to score from open play despite sustained pressure.
Captain Salima Tete produced some outstanding defensive interventions, while the backline stood firm against one of the strongest attacking units.
The challenge is to complement that defensive solidity with greater efficiency in attack.
India created opportunities against the Netherlands but struggled to convert. The penalty-corner specialist Deepika, who scored six goals during the Nations Cup triumph in New Zealand, will be expected to take charge again.
Australia, meanwhile, has not enjoyed its best season. The two-time world champion finished eighth in the 2025-26 Pro League and was runner-up at the World Cup qualifiers in Santiago.
Having toured Australia before lifting the Nations Cup, India is familiar with the Hockeyroos. The two sides played four closely-fought matches, with India winning one, losing two, and drawing one.
Coach Sjoerd Marijne acknowledged that the schedule has taken a toll on his players after they had to play two high-pressure matches on successive days, against England and the Netherlands.
“We played two big matches on two consecutive days. I’m not saying we would have won if that hadn’t happened, but the players made technical mistakes in the end,” Marijne said.
“The team showed good intentions, but they should have capitalised on the opportunities. We don’t get many chances against such teams. Now, I consider the match against Australia like a quarterfinal, where a win will take us to the semifinals.”
For a team featuring 11 World Cup debutants, India has exceeded expectations on several fronts.
However, against Australia, India will need to turn that promise into goals.
A win would put them within touching distance of a World Cup semifinal which implies Sunday’s contest is the quarterfinal Marijne believes it is.
Published on Aug 22, 2026
