The hosts continued to press after the break and were rewarded with another penalty corner in the 42nd minute
Published: August 16, 2026, 11:30 AM IST
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India vs Wales(Credits: IANS)
India began their men’s Hockey World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales in their Pool D match at the Wagener Stadium on SaturdayCaptain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners, while Sanjay added another goal as India secured three points on Independence Day.
Playing in front of a big home crowd at the nearly 10,000-capacity stadium, India controlled most of the match but could not keep a clean sheetSam Welsh scored for Wales in the 56th minute to give the visitors some hope late in the game.
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Wales started the match with more possession and created the first real chance in the second minuteJack Pritchard received a pass from Fred Newbold but India goalkeeper Suraj Karkera was quick to deny himNewbold’s follow-up effort went over the bar.
Newbold remained a threat and tested Karkera again in the fifth minute, but the Indian goalkeeper stood firm.
India then quickly changed the pace of the gameHardik Singh won their first penalty corner in the seventh minuteWith Harmanpreet off the field, Sanjay took the flick, but his first attempt was stoppedIndia earned another penalty corner after the ball hit the foot of the first Welsh rusher.
Sanjay made no mistake the second time, sending a powerful direct flick past the goalkeeper to put India ahead in the eighth minute.
India doubled their advantage three minutes laterAfter earning another penalty corner, Harmanpreet stepped up and fired a strong drag-flick into the net to make it 2-0.
Wales tried to respond but India’s defence held firmIndia continued to create chances, although Harmanpreet missed another penalty corner before the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter followed a similar patternIndia kept attacking, while Wales looked for opportunities on the counterWales came close to scoring in the 19th minute when Pritchard broke through and found himself in front of goalHis shot beat the goalkeeper but struck the post.
India went into half-time with a 2-0 lead.
The hosts continued to press after the break and were rewarded with another penalty corner in the 42nd minuteHarmanpreet converted again a minute later, sending a low flick into the net to make it 3-0.
Wales earned their first penalty corner in the 54th minute, but Mohit HS produced an excellent save to deny Gareth Furlong.
Wales finally got on the scoresheet two minutes laterSam Welsh found the net during a scramble in front of the Indian goalThe umpire referred the decision for a possible backstick offence, but the review confirmed that the ball had crossed the line before the offence and the goal stood.
India held on comfortably in the closing minutes to take all three pointsHowever, the late goal will concern head coach Craig Fulton, especially with goal difference carrying added importance in the new tournament format.
India will next face third-ranked England and will look to improve their finishing and defensive workWales, playing in only their second World Cup, showed plenty of fight but could not match India’s quality over the full 60 minutes.
