New Zealand will play Germany for third at the Punjab Gold Cup hockey tournament after
going down 3-2 to India in their final round robin group match yesterday at Chandigarh.
European champions Netherlands booked a spot in the final against India after they hammered world and Olympic championsGermany 7-1.
India wasted little time in opening a lead over New Zealand with a goal in the fifth minute from Rajpal Singh.
New Zealand had chances in the first half to draw even and Nic Haig hit the post from a penalty corner which deflected wide in the 20th minute.
After halftime, New Zealand constructed a number of quality attacks, with Simon Child, Phil Burrows and Nick Wilson combining well in attack.
New Zealand found the equaliser in the 41st minute through Wilson, who latched on to an excellent through ball from Child.
Singh restored his side's lead in the 54th minute with another deflection off a free hit into the circle. Richard Petherick found another equaliser for New Zealand with a well-taken penalty corner flick into the right upper corner.
New Zealand had a goal disallowed in the 65th minute and then conceded a penalty corner with a minute to go, which Ignace Tirkey converted for the winner.
Earlier, the Dutch controlled their game against Germany from the first minute when Wouter Jolie converted a penalty corner. In the seventh minute Jeroen Hertzberger doubled the Netherlands' lead.
Germany squandered opportunities to get back into the contest and wasted three penalty corners in the 10th, 17th and 26th minutes.
After the break, Netherlands picked up where they left off and extended their lead with goals from Constantijn Jonker, Robbert Kemperman and Lucas Judge while Heretzberger and Jolie both scored again.
