India's hopes of qualifying for the title clash hung in balance as they succumbed 2-4 to world champions Australia in their last league outing of the 36th Hero Champions Trophy Hockey here today.
India's two goals came from penalty corner shooter VR Raghunath and striker Mandeep Singh, but it was too late to cause any threat to Australia, who had gained a stranglehold through strikes from Trent Mitton, Aran Zalewski, Flynn Ogilvie and Tristian White.
Australia topped the league standings with 13 points from five matches, while India finished on seven points and now await the result of the Great Britain-Belgium encounter to know if they will feature in the final or the bronze medal match tomorrow.
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India needed a victory today to secure a place in the final against Australia, who were already assured of the top spot in the standings ahead of this fixture.
India's chances of making their first entry into the Champions Trophy final depend of the result of the Great Britain match against Belgium, both of whom can overtake India in the standings.
Britain, on five points, need a victory to get the second spot in the round-robin league. Belgium can come level with India on points if they win the last match, which will bring them level with India on points. Then the goal difference will come into play.
A draw in the Britain-Belgium match will leave India in the second place, giving them a place in the final.
India pulled all 11 players into their own circle in the first quarter and succeeded in denying the rival strikers too much space or time to pose much danger.
It was in the second quarter, when the Indian defenders erred in conceding too much space in their territory that Australia mounted the pressure and succeeded in scoring twice through penalty corner conversions.
India did not have a single shot at the Australian goal in the first half and started their fightback too late to be able to change the result.
At the start, the Indians were content on defending their own territory and did not move up until the seventh minute, when overlapping striker Surender Kumar sent a cross into the right from the right flank. The Australian defenders kept their composure and the ball was cleared by the goalkeeper without an Indian striker coming into the frame.
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Australia got the first chance after the change of ends when they earned their fourth penalty corner but the stopper fumbled to control the injection.
Trailing by a goal, India went all out attacking in search of the equaliser and their efforts bore fruit in the 42nd minute through a fierce reverse shot strike from Gurjant from a tight angle after he was set up by Simranjeet's brilliant play.
Pumped up by the equaliser, the Indians went for the kill and six minutes later took the lead through Mandeep, who scored his third goal of the tournament.
The credit for India's second goal entirely should go to Mandeep who first intercepted an Australian defender's miss-scoop and then played little one-two with Nilkanta Singh before unleashing a reverse hit underneath the Australia custodian into the board.
Stunned by India's strike, Australia went into attacking mode and in the process secured two consecutive penalty corners, the second of which was brilliantly parried away by Vikas in front of the Indian goal.
But lapse in concentration for a moment from the Indian defence cost the hosts dearly as Australia equalised in the 57th minute with a soft goal.
Ten minutes from final hooter, Parvinder Singh came close but his sharp deflection from Dipasn Tirkey's defence splitting pass was kept away by an agile Australian goalkeeper Thomas.
Six minutes from time, Australia secured another penalty corner but once again Vikas stood tall to keep away Blake Gover's grounded flick.
Thereafter both the teams tried hard for the winner but they failed to break each other defensive line to take the encounter into a shoot-out, where the Indian kept a calm head to emerge winners.
