India started off on a rousing note, routing Malaysia 6-2, with Mervyn Fernandis scoring a brace, Rajinder Singh three and Surinder Singh Sodhi accounting for the other goal. In the very next match, however, they frittered a two-goal lead to lose 3-4 to the Netherlands.

But in the matches that followed, they put the defeat behind them and ran roughshod over the lowly USSR 7-2 and England 4-2. In their last match of the group, they were up against the Aussies. All they needed was a draw to enter the semi-finals. But they lost 1-2 and crashed out of the reckoning. India went ahead in the 37th minute through Ravinderpal Singh but the Australians rallied with goals from Craig Davies (penalty corner) and Peter Haselhurst.

The all-conquering Pakistan joined Australia, the Netherlands and Germany in the semi-finals. At Buenos Aires in the previous World Cup, Pakistan had defeated Germany in the semis and Holland in the final to emerge tops. This time they met Holland in the semi-finals, while Australia and Germany contested the other semi-final.

Pakistan went on to beat Holland 4-2, with goals from Hanif Khan, Kaleemullah, Hassan Sardar and Manzoor, Sr. Paul Litjens scored both goals for Holland. Germany beat Australia, who were unbeaten till then, 8-5 on penalties in the other semi-final after the teams were locked 3-3 at the end of extra-time.

In the final, Pakistan proved too good for West Germany, winning 3-1. Hassan Sardar, Manzoor Jr and Kaleemullah scored for Pakistan while Heiner Dopp got Germany's lone goal.

It was the second consecutive World Cup that Pakistan ended up unbeaten.

India was left to fight for the fifth to eighth positions. They beat New Zealand 3-2 and the USSR 5-1 to end up fifth. A small consolation for India was that Rajinder Singh emerged top scorer with 12 goals. The tournament is best remembered for the opportunism and goal-poaching skills of Pakistani centre forward Hassan Sardar, who scored 10 goals.

Final Positions
1.	Pakistan
2.	West Germany
3.	Australia
4.	The Netherlands
5.	India
6.	USSR
7.	New Zealand
8.	Poland
9.	England
10.	Malaysia
11.	Spain
12.	Argentina

Indian Team:
Surjit Singh (captain), Mir Ranjan Negi, Ashok Dewan, Rajinder Singh, Vineet Kumar, M M Somaya, Ravinder Pal Singh, Onkar Singh, Gurmail Singh, M K Kaushik, Mervyn Fernandis, Surinder Singh Sodhi, Mohammed Shahid, Syed Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Charanjit Kumar
Coach: Harmeek Singh
Manager: Jhamanlal Sharma