New Delhi: World Cup-winning former captain Ajit Pal Singh feels India were "pathetic" in the group stage of the Hockey World League Final before they got "lucky" to notch up a bronze, ending a 33-year wait for a medal at a major international tournament.

"The tournament format was such that all eight teams made the quarterfinals. If you analyse India's performance in the league stage, they were pathetic barring the drawn game against Germany. Then anything was possible from the knockout stage and India did well to beat England in the quarters and then Netherlands for the bronze," Ajit Pal told PTI today.