While all everyone's keeping close tabs on India's ongoing cricket tour of Australia, the cricket-crazy nation is all set to host one of the biggest spectacles in men's hockey - 2018 World Cup - in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 28th November. The Indian men's hockey team will be seen fighting for the coveted gold medal that will eventually be decided via the final on 16th December.

The fourteenth edition of the tournament will see the 16 participating nations drawn into four pools - each containing four sides. The group stage will witness each team playing a game against each of their three compatriots in the pool. The first-placed team, after the group stage, in every pool will automatically qualify for the quarterfinals, while those who finish second and third in their pools will locks horns in the crossover matches before the knockout round begins.

For just under three weeks, Odisha's capital will be the cynosure of the hockey world, as the coveted men's hockey World Cup returns to India - only for the second time in eight years. The 12th edition of the tournament was held in New Delhi in 2010, but the tournament didn't exactly turn out the way the home side would've wanted.

Finishing eighth in the national capital, the Indian men's team couldn't manage to win more than just one game in their five pool games. The 2014 edition that took place in Netherlands, too, proved to be a forgettable affair for India as they finished ninth in the competition.

Carrying a herculean task on their shoulders, the Indian men's hockey team will surely have some catching up to do since their predecessors have failed so miserably in the past. But, that shouldn't take anything away from the quality this current Indian team possess going into the mega event.

Ever since the appointment of Harendra Singh as head coach, the Indian men have really come into their own - something that was in full display during their 5-0 win over Argentina in their practice game recently. With goals from Harmanpreet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, and Hardik Singh, the Indians won with a comfortable 5-0 margin against the world's No. 2 side.

Twitter/@TheHockeyIndia

The announcement of the 18-member Indian squad for the World Cup did raise a few eyebrows with SV Sunil missing out due to injury and Rupinder Pal Singh overlooked on form. But, in the bigger scheme of things, the Indian squad boasts of a perfect mix of youth and experience.

Led by Manpreet Singh, the Indian squad has seven players from the triumphant 2016 Junior World Cup campaign. India's experienced shot-stopper PR Sreejesh (30) is the eldest member in the squad, while Dilpreet Singh is the youngest at 19. Manpreet and Sreejesh are amongst the seven members of the Indian squad who've played a World Cup, having featured earlier in the 2014 edition.

When it comes to international caps, skipper Manpreet is the most experienced member of the squad with 238 appearances, followed by Sreejesh (204), vice-captain Chinglensana Singh (199), Kothajit Singh (186) and Birendra Lakra (168).

Squad: PR Sreejesh, Krishna Bahadur Pathak, Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Manpreet Singh (c), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (vc), Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Sumit, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Simranjeet Singh.

Twitter/@TheHockeyIndia

The Indian men's hockey team might have had a mixed year in terms of results, but the most noticeable bonus seems to be the appointment of Harendra Singh as their head coach. Ever since his appointment in May earlier this year, Harendra's addition has undoubtedly turned the fortunes for the Indian brigade.

Just two months after his appointment, Harendra's tactics and acumen helped the sixth-ranked Indians reach the final of the elite Champions Trophy in July. The Indian team was seen beating the likes of Pakistan and Argentina early in the tournament before making the finals cut ahead of Belgium and Holland - the teams that were (and still are) ranked higher than Harendra's men. India, eventually, had to settle for silver after losing to Australia in the summit clash.

After their silver-medal finish at the Champions Trophy, coach Harendra had declared that his team would be up on the podium at Bhubaneswar on 16th December - the gold-medal final of the World Cup. While the memories of the frustrating bronze medal at the Asian Games in August would still be fresh in the minds of the Indian fans, coach Harendra's promise, even if it seems like a far-fetched dream, would surely propel millions in the country into a state of unbridled ecstasy.

Twitter/@TheHockeyIndia

In a tournament where 16 participating nations are divided into four pools, India are placed in Pool C alongside Belgium, Canada and South Africa. The Manpreet Singh-led side will begin their campaign against the Proteas on 28th November - the opening day of the coveted tournament.

Following their opening encounter, the Indian team will face a sterner test against Belgium - a game that can very well decide who tops Pool C - on 2nd December. The home side will play their final group game against Canada on 8th December before the top sides from each pool enter straight into the quarterfinals, while the second and third placed sides in the pools face-off in the crossover matches.