New Delhi: Hosts India will face current world champions Australia in their campaign opener of the FIH men's Hockey World League (HWL) Final to be held in Bhubaneswars Kalinga Stadium from December 1 to 10.
According to the schedule announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Thursday, India are placed in a tough Pool B along side Australia, England and reigning Olympic bronze medallist Germany.
After taking on the Kookaburras on December 1, India will face England on December 2 and Germany on December 4.
European rivals Germany and England will get the event off to a flier before the India-Australia duel.
Pool A, meanwhile, consists of Olympic champions Argentina, European champions Netherlands and Olympic silver medallists Belgium and Spain.
In what is being billed as 'Super Saturday', December 2 is set to be a thriller with some eagerly anticipated matches scheduled.
A rerun of the 2016 Olympic gold medal match between Argentina and Belgium will get the day underway in a match that is bound to rekindle some fond memories from that special night in Rio just over a year ago.
The Pool stages will run from December 1-5 and will be followed by the quarter-finals on December 6-7.
Following the classification matches, the semi-finals will take place over the next two days before the bronze medal match and the Final on December 10.