The Indian women’s hockey team staged a superb second-half comeback to beat Germany 3-1 and finish fifth at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 at the Wagener Stadium on Thursday (Aug 27). The result gave India their best finish in the tournament since they secured fourth place in the inaugural 1974 edition.&nbsp;India came into the 5th/6th place playoff after losing just one match in the competition, however, Germany controlled much of the first half and put India’s attack under pressure.&nbsp;Both teams failed to score in the opening two quarters. Germany created more chances and won several penalty corners, but goalkeeper Bichu Devi and India’s defence kept them at bay.&nbsp;India returned from the break with more attacking intent and completely changed the game in the third quarter.&nbsp;Ishika Chaudhary opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with an excellent reverse-lift finish after making a strong run into the circle.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-did-everything-we-could-shubman-gill-reacts-after-sri-lanka-hold-india-to-draw-in-second-test-1787843646557">'We did everything we could': Shubman Gill reacts after Sri Lanka hold India to draw in second Test</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬, 𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡! 🇮🇳🔥 From the opening draw against Paris Olympics silver medallists China to a statement 3–1 win over World No. 5 Germany, the Indian Women’s Team has delivered a World Cup campaign that promises bigger things in the future. 🏑❤️<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/HockeyIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyIndia</a>… <a href="https://t.co/jPZ4htuS84">pic.twitter.com/jPZ4htuS84</a>&mdash; Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://x.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/2093008978775359903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

India doubled their lead just a minute later when Navneet Kaur converted their first penalty corner of the match in the 44th minute.&nbsp;Navneet struck again in the 47th minute, calmly lifting the ball past the German goalkeeper to put India 3-0 ahead.&nbsp;Germany pulled one goal back through Lynn Krings in the 59th minute after she scored from a rebound. However, India defended well in the closing stages to seal a 3-1 victory.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">VIDEO | Amstelveen, Netherlands: Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia reacts to the Indian women&#39;s hockey team&#39;s performance as it defeated Germany 3-1 in a classification match to finish a credible fifth at the FIH World Cup. &quot;Had we played the kind of hockey we played today… <a href="https://t.co/lpCEaM4QzR">pic.twitter.com/lpCEaM4QzR</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://x.com/PTI_News/status/2093014990211137978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-wtc-points-table-2025-27-where-does-india-stand-after-sri-lanka-draw-1787834641348">WTC Points Table 2025-27: Where does India stand after Sri Lanka draw?</a>&nbsp;Savita Punia also made important saves, including a crucial penalty corner stop in the final quarter, to help India secure the win.&nbsp;The victory marked the end of India’s memorable World Cup campaign, with the team finishing fifth after an impressive showing on the global stage.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

India may not have celebrated loudly at the final hooter, but the team can take plenty of positives from its performance as it builds towards the Asian Games.

The Indian women’s hockey team staged a superb second-half comeback to beat Germany 3-1 and finish fifth at the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 at the Wagener Stadium on Thursday (Aug 27). The result gave India their best finish in the tournament since they secured fourth place in the inaugural 1974 edition. India came into the 5th/6th place playoff after losing just one match in the competition, however, Germany controlled much of the first half and put India’s attack under pressure. Both teams failed to score in the opening two quarters. Germany created more chances and won several penalty corners, but goalkeeper Bichu Devi and India’s defence kept them at bay. India returned from the break with more attacking intent and completely changed the game in the third quarter. Ishika Chaudhary opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with an excellent reverse-lift finish after making a strong run into the circle. Also Read - 'We did everything we could': Shubman Gill reacts after Sri Lanka hold India to draw in second Test

India may not have celebrated loudly at the final hooter, but the team can take plenty of positives from its performance as it builds towards the Asian Games.

A Moment to Cherish! India defeat Germany 3-1 to finish fifth at FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026, best in 52 years

India have advanced to the second round of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 after playing out a goalless draw against England in their final Pool D match. The result was enough for India to finish second in the pool behind China.&nbsp;India knew that a draw would be enough to qualify, but they did not start the match with a defensive approach, as they earned three penalty corners in the first quarter but failed to score from any of them. They also created a few field-goal chances, but Ishika and Salima Tete could not find the net, according to ESPN.&nbsp;England grew stronger as the match progressed. After an evenly fought second quarter, they dominated the third period. Similar to India’s opening match against China, they struggled to keep possession as England created repeated attacks and won several penalty corners. However, India’s defence remained strong.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bpl-t20-league-cancelled-by-bangladesh-after-heavy-financial-losses-1787239497755">BPL T20 League cancelled by Bangladesh after heavy financial losses</a>&nbsp;India entered the final quarter knowing they needed to hold on for another 15 minutes to secure their place in the next round. Bichu Devi made key saves to deny England and secure the draw.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/raised-the-bar-ab-de-villiers-picks-kohli-over-tendulkar-in-test-debate-1787235148651">‘Raised the bar’: AB de Villiers picks Kohli over Tendulkar in Test debate</a>&nbsp;India will now face the Netherlands in the opening match of the second pool phase on Friday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

The draw gave India a crucial point, taking their tally to five and securing second place in the pool behind China, which earned them a spot in the next round.

India have advanced to the second round of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 after playing out a goalless draw against England in their final Pool D match. The result was enough for India to finish second in the pool behind China. India knew that a draw would be enough to qualify, but they did not start the match with a defensive approach, as they earned three penalty corners in the first quarter but failed to score from any of them. They also created a few field-goal chances, but Ishika and Salima Tete could not find the net, according to ESPN. England grew stronger as the match progressed. After an evenly fought second quarter, they dominated the third period. Similar to India’s opening match against China, they struggled to keep possession as England created repeated attacks and won several penalty corners. However, India’s defence remained strong. Also Read - BPL T20 League cancelled by Bangladesh after heavy financial losses India entered the final quarter knowing they needed to hold on for another 15 minutes to secure their place in the next round. Bichu Devi made key saves to deny England and secure the draw. Also Read - ‘Raised the bar’: AB de Villiers picks Kohli over Tendulkar in Test debate India will now face the Netherlands in the opening match of the second pool phase on Friday evening. With inputs from agencies

The draw gave India a crucial point, taking their tally to five and securing second place in the pool behind China, which earned them a spot in the next round.

FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup: India hold England to goalless draw, advance to Round 2

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A Moment to Cherish! India defeat Germany 3-1 to finish fifth at FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026, best in 52 years

FIH Women’s Hockey WC: India hold England to goalless draw, advance to Round 2