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In a game that fell short of expectations, Asian women’s hockey rivals India and China played out a 2-2 draw in the FIH World Cup at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Sunday.
India took the lead twice but was unable to hold onto its advantage, allowing China to fight back on both occasions and force a share of the points. Inconsistent passing and frequent stick-related infringements proved costly for India.
Indian players were repeatedly penalized for stick tackles, while China attempted to open up the game with better positioning and measured passing. India, however, made a promising start and earned an early penalty corner.
From the first penalty corner in the fifth minute, Navneet’s direct shot was saved by the goalkeeper before the danger was cleared.
India continued to apply pressure and was rewarded in the seventh minute. From a free hit outside the striking circle, Neha sent the ball toward goal, where Navneet produced a deflection that went unchallenged and struck the boards to give India a 1-0 lead.
Encouraged by the early breakthrough, India maintained the pressure as China struggled to establish its rhythm.
Toward the end of the first quarter, a physical obstruction that brought down Jiaqi Zhong resulted in a penalty stroke for China. India challenged the decision, but the video referee upheld the on-field umpire’s call. Ying Zhang made no mistake from the spot, beating Savita Punia to restore parity. The teams ended the opening quarter level at 1-1.
India earned its second penalty corner in the 22nd minute. Navneet unleashed a powerful shot that rebounded off the goalkeeper’s pads and attempted another effort from the rebound. Her follow-up, however, struck an Indian player on its way toward goal. Baljeet, who appealed for another penalty corner, was shown a green card and temporarily suspended.
India’s third penalty corner, in the 25th minute, proved productive. Deepika’s attempt deflected off a defender’s stick and into the net. After initially awarding the goal, the umpire referred the decision to the video referee, who upheld the original call. India went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
China responded in the third quarter, earning a penalty corner in the 39th minute. Ma Ning converted the opportunity to bring her team level at 2-2.
China earned another penalty corner in the 40th minute, but Savita Punia made the clearance to prevent further damage.
Savita was replaced at the start of the fourth quarter as both teams searched for a decisive breakthrough.
China received another penalty corner in the 57th minute following a stick infringement, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. The match eventually ended 2-2, with the two Asian teams splitting the points.
It was the second time in the opening stages of the tournament that teams from the same continent had played to a draw in the women’s competition. Argentina and the United States shared the points in their opening game on Saturday, before India and China did the same on Sunday.
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