India to clash against England in hockey semifinal

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New Delhi, Oct 12: Fresh off the high of the thumping 7-4 victory over long-time rivals Pakistan, Indian hockey team will on Tuesday, Oct 12 take on England in the semifinals at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Unlike Pakistan, a well-organised England will be a tough cookie to crack for the Indian team. India would not only have to tighten up the defence to choke their rivals, but also will have the break the English defence to be able to keep the game from being one-sided.

While Pakistan is a rival for India for various reasons on and off the field, England is the host country's true nemesis.

England denied India a spot in the Beijing Olympics with a 2-0 win in the final of the qualifying tournament in Santiago, Chile. If the Indians have learnt anything from that loss, then the players would play with patience and concentrate on breaking the opponent's defence.

In the other semifinals hockey bout at the CWG 2010, World champions Australia will be clashing against New Zealand aiming to wrap up the year with a hat-trick following the World Cup and the Champions Trophy victories.

OneIndia News