India will look for a big upset when they take on Australia in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World League Final at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on Wednesday.
Where to Watch Live
The India vs Australia match is scheduled for an 8 pm IST start with live coverage on Ten Action and Ten Sports, with the first match of the day beginning at 1.15 am. The game can be watched online via live streaming around the world HERE. Note: Some territories will be Geo Blocked.
Terry Walsh's men have been pretty disappointing in the tournament so far, losing their first two matches to England and New Zealand respectively, even if there were some signs of improvement following a 3-3 draw against Germany.
"We are consistently improving and will continue to fight and play the same way in the next match as well," coach Walsh said after the 3-3 draw with Germany on Monday. "We need to keep ourselves motivated and improve with every game.
"I was quite happy with the team's performance [against Germany]. It was a quality game. The team was composed and showed a lot of synergy. The defence was organised and the attack was electric. The young players also played really well."
The last time the two sides met at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi, Australia thrashed India 8-0 in the Commonwealth Games, and the away team are not expecting a repeat of that performance come Wednesday.
"The Indians are a big threat," Australia's Kieran Govers said. "They did not perform the way they wanted to [in the group stage], but you can't underestimate some of the weapons they have got in their arsenal. We have played them so many times and we know what they are capable of producing on the field."
"We need to play with high intensity and need to put as much pressure on the opposition as we can," added Russell Ford.
The other quarterfinals are between England and Belgium, Germany vs Netherlands and Argentina vs New Zealand.
England were quite impressive in the early stages and the European side will want to continue that good form into the knockout rounds. "The other pool is tough and all four teams are very good sides," England coach Bobby Crutchley said. "We have to build momentum but make no mistake, this is a good opportunity to take on some of the best teams in the world."
The contest between Germany and the Netherlands, two powerhouses of hockey could be something to behold, if both teams bring their A game on Wednesday. "We need to play the same system but play it more aggressively and we have to play with more rhythm," Holland coach Paul Van Ass said. "This is what we didn't do against Belgium. We always look forward to playing Germany."
Full schedule: England vs Belgium (1.15 pm IST), Germany vs Netherlands (3.30 pm IST), New Zealand vs Argentina (5.45 pm IST), India vs Australia (8 pm IST).
