New Zealand crush India 5-1 in Azlan Shah hockey

IPOH, Malaysia: India began their campaign in the 21st Azlan Shah hockey tournament with an embarrassing 1-5 defeat at the hands of speedy New Zealand here on Thursday.

New Zealand, who are drawn in the same group as India at the London Olympic Games, had outplayed India 7-3 in the 2011 Azlan Shah Cup, when India finished sixth in a field of seven nations despite starting as double defending champions.

Simon Child (1st minute), Andy Hayward (34th), Nick Wilson (32nd), Stephen Jenness (61st) and Matt L'huillier (65th) scored for New Zealand, who only the previous night had one of their players, Blair Hilton ruled out of the tournament after undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis.

India's lone goal, scored by Shivendra Singh in the sixth minute, kept the scores level at 1-1 till the 34th minute.