BHUBANESWAR, Odisha – India suffered an early exit from the hockey World Cup after the hosts lost 5-4 to New Zealand on penalties in a dramatic crossover match on Sunday.

Fancied India, led by defender Harmanpreet Singh, needed a win to make the quarter-finals of hockey’s biggest tournament and had the home fans on edge after the match ended 3-3 in Bhubaneswar.

Poor penalty corner conversion plagued India during the tournament as they were successful with just five of their 26 attempts. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they converted 10 out of their 31 corners.

New Zealand came back from 3-1 down to level the contest and then held their nerve as the penalty shoot-out went to sudden death.

Sean Findlay starred for New Zealand, ranked 12th in the world, scoring the goal that forced penalties and then twice converting in the shoot-out as the underdogs celebrated at the Kalinga Stadium.

New Zealand goalkeeper Leon Hayward told Indian outlet Sportstar: “The whole experience of being in India and playing against India is really special.

“(India goalkeeper P. R.) Sreejesh is someone who I like a lot and followed what he has done. So this is probably the biggest moment I have had in hockey.

“I was gonna say hello to Sreejesh and (Krishan) Pathak but then I was too nervous, to be honest, and I was trying to not be sick actually (laughs). It was a big moment.”

Sixth-ranked India once dominated men’s field hockey, winning eight Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1980.

The former national game of the cricket-mad nation witnessed a revival after India won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and followed it up with a Commonwealth Games silver in Birmingham last year.

Australia, holders Belgium, the Netherlands, England and Spain have also secured their place in the quarter-finals. AFP