Goals to Kane Russell and Stephen Jenness have not been enough to lift the Men's Black Sticks to an opening win in the Tokyo Olympics hockey tournament, falling to India 3-2.
It was a quality showing from the Kiwis against the team expected to be their biggest test in pool play, with world No 5 Indian side having enough success defensively to stifle most of the New Zealand attacks.
The Indian side had goalkeeper Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran to thank for closing out the game, as he made several good saves in the final quarter to keep his side in the lead and close out the win.
It didn't start out that way, however. The Black Sticks went ahead early in the match after seeing off some early pressure, with Russell converting from a penalty corner six minutes into the contest.