India delivered a masterclass performance at the Wagener Stadium, dismantling South Africa 6-1 to secure their largest-ever margin of victory in the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup. The momentum began early with a clinical finish from Sunelita Toppo, followed by a powerful penalty corner strike from Navneet Kaur and a opportunistic goal from Sushila Chanu to give the side a comfortable 3-0 cushion by halftime.

The Indian squad showed no signs of slowing down after the break, with Deepika Sehrawat, Lalremsiami, and Sakshi Rana all finding the net in a relentless third-quarter surge. While South Africa managed a late consolation goal through Kayla de Waal, the result had already cemented India’s position at the top of Pool D. This dominant display surpasses their previous record set in 1974, and with a crucial match against England on August 20 ahead, India is now perfectly positioned to cruise into the next round of the tournament.