INDIA's hopes of reaching the Women's Hockey World Cup semifinals were dashed on Sunday after they were held to a goalless draw by Australia in their final second-round match here.
With the Netherlands beating China 4-1 earlier in the day, the semifinal spot came down to India and Australia.
India needed a win, while Australia only had to avoid defeat because they had scored more goals than their opponents.
India survived an early scare when Australia appeared to take the lead through a close-range effort that struck Jyoti high on her body before deflecting into the net. India immediately took a referral, and the TV umpire ruled the play dangerous, preserving the 0-0 scoreline.
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India had a chance to break the deadlock just before half-time after winning a penalty corner, but Australia read their routine and stopped the threat.
Nikki Pradhan then found space but failed to connect cleanly with her shot, completely missing the ball before it struck her foot.
India pushed for the goal they needed but could not find a way through Australia's defence. The draw was enough for Australia to secure the final semifinal spot, while India's semifinal hopes ended.
India had started their campaign unbeaten, drawing against China and England before beating South Africa 6-1 to advance to the second round. But a 0-2 defeat to the Netherlands in their previous match left India needing a victory against Australia.
