The Indian men’s hockey team might not be in the tournament anymore after a heartbreaking defeat to Netherlands in the quarterfinal, but there are two cracking semifinal matches lined up for Saturday in Bhubaneswar as the FIH Hockey World Cup reaches its business end.
Australia, the undisputed favourites, are two wins away from creating history by winning the World Cup three times in a row and standing in their quest for glory is a dogged Dutch side who overcame India by the finest of margins. The Dutch, who have won the title thrice before – the last time being in 1998 – too would be desperate to break their 20-year-old jinx.
In the other semifinal, England — peaking at the right time after a sluggish start to the tournament — face the ever-improving Belgium side in all European-clash.
What are the key areas that will decide the two semifinal fixtures? Former India captain Sardar Singh provides his take. And find out his predictions for the two winners as well.
Watch the video here: