India, Aug. 28 -- Not so long ago, the Indian women's hockey team found itself at a difficult crossroad. Out of the Pro League, starved of top-flight international fixtures a year and reeling from the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the squad was dogged by internal rifts and a fractured dressing room.

Yet, as the dust settled on their World Cup campaign in the Netherlands and Belgium, the narrative has been dramatically rewritten.

Against all odds, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne orchestrated a stunning turnaround, guiding the team to a brilliant fifth-place finish, India's best show at the World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1974 when they finished fourth.

Navigating elite opposition regularly, India suffered ...