Australia narrowly missed equaling one record but set another. Playing China, the defending champions and World No.1 team, pumped in eleven goals without reply in a World Cup pool B match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar to finish their league engagements with all win record. With this win, Australia ows a unique record of most consecutive victories in the World Cup, 16 to be specific. The string started with a 5-2 victory in 2010 Delhi edition, and continues smooth The Hague and fittingly now agai on Indian soils.

But the ruthless Australians fell short of their own record — 12-0 against South Africa in New Delhi in 2010. However, by defeating China, Australia broke the record for most consecutive victories in the World Cup eclipsing Pakistan’s 15 on the trot in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.

Their runaway win over China who qualified for the next round from the pool along with England at Ireland’s expense now takes Australia to 16 consecutive wins.

The streak by Pakistan was registered on natural grass and it included one win – the 1978 semifinal against (West) Germany – in extra-time.

Australia completed the feat on artificial surfaces at the World Cups in 2010 New Delhi and 2014 The Hague, the Netherlands, with none of the semifinals or finals going into extra-time.

However, the Australians aiming for a hat-trick of World Cup titles, were oblivious about either record. “We had no idea at all about the 12-0 win over South Africa being a record,” said midfielder Aran Zalewski after the match.

And forward Blake Govers, who also was unaware of the record, wasn’t too excited when told about the 15-match winning streak in the World Cup.

MOST WIN RECORD OF AUSTRALIA AT WORLD CUP

(from www.stick2hockey.com archive)

2010 —

1 India &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 5 — 2
2 South Africa &nbsp &nbsp 12 — 0
3 Spain &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2 — 0
4 Pakistan &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2 — 1
5 Netherlands &nbsp &nbsp 2 — 1
6 Germany &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2 — 1

2014 —
7 Malaysia &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 4 — 0
8 Spain &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 3 — 0
9 Belgium &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 3 — 1
10 England &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 5 — 0
11 India &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 4 — 0
12 Argentina &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 5 — 1
13 Netherlands &nbsp &nbsp 6 — 1

2018 —
14 Ireland &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 2 — 1
15 England &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 3 — 0
16 China &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 11 — 0
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp