India’s women’s hockey team opens its FIH Hockey World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against China, followed later by a tense 0-0 draw with England to secure progression from the group stage.
In the China match, Navneet Kaur scores in the 8th minute and Deepika puts India ahead again in the 25th. China responds through Zhang Ying (15th, penalty stroke) and Ma Ning (39th) to level the contest. Reports describe a hard-fought game in which both sides create chances, with China mounting a fight back after India’s early lead. Different outlets highlight different turning points—such as China’s equalizers via set-pieces and penalty conversions—while agreeing on the final score and scorers.
For group progression, India then holds England goalless, finishing second in its group and advancing to the second round. One account notes Bichu Devi makes a decisive late save to protect the draw. Across coverage, India is described as keeping a steady tournament run, including multiple draws against higher-ranked teams, and advancing despite missing opportunities to win certain matches outright. China tops Pool D, while England is eliminated.
