12 Oct 2015

Black Sticks lose series to India

7:09 am on 12 October 2015

The New Zealand men's hockey team have lost a four-Test series to India two games to one, after a one-all draw in Sunday's final match in Christchurch.

Steve Edwards of the Black Sticks is tackled by Birendra Lakra of India.

Steve Edwards of the Black Sticks is tackled by Birendra Lakra of India. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

After a scoreless first half, the action was in the third quarter when Nick Ross scored for New Zealand with Sunil Sowmarpet finding the equaliser moments later.

"I thought we played pretty well today. In the areas that we have been working on there has been good progress - I think it was our best performance even though we didn't win the game," said the Black Sticks coach Colin Batch.

"India tested us and we overcame those challenges well today, so a lot of positives have come out of the game but of course the game is about winning and we didn't do that today."

The series was a build-up for the Oceania Cup (21-25 October) in Taranaki featuring the men's and women's teams from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa.

The Black Sticks women have already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, however the Black Sticks men need to win the tournament and beat the world number one side Australia to book their Rio berth.