If you are going to play in a shade of orange, India got a close-up display on how to do so from a clinical Netherlands.

With six minutes to go, Manpreet Singh dawdled on the ball allowing Jorrit Croon to rob the ball and slip in Thijs van Dam. The forward flicked it over Mohith HS, controlled it on the run, before slapping the ball into the net to finish off India with style.

In front of a packed Wagener Stadion, Netherlands took one step closer to a semifinal berth of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 with a 3-1 win, pushing India to the brink of elimination in Amstelveen on Saturday. Placed last in the standings, India’s hopes now rests on the result between England and Argentina.

AS IT HAPPENED | India vs Netherlands Highlights

Needing a win, India put up a spirited fight, getting its tactics spot on to make the home side work hard, but familiar troubles in field play plagued Craig Fulton’s men. Harmanpreet Singh converted another Penalty Corner, but the Dutch, even with their attacking PC misfiring, picked apart India with three field goals, two of them coming from devastating counter-attacks.

For three quarters of the game, it was a cat-and-mouse affair with both teams feeding off scraps. Of the four matches in the tournament, this was India’s best start. Fulton’s side was sharper on the ball, controlling possession, not allowing the Dutch to play their flick passing game. India defended its circle well, starving Netherlands’ marksman Thierry Brinkmann of service.

However, India, too, didn’t find space in the circle, struggling to find the right connections in field play. Dilpreet Singh came close but his deflected effort was booted away by Derk Meijer.

After trading blows again in the third quarter, the Dutch found momentum before taking the lead. Floris Wortelboer made an unchecked run into the circle and squared a pass into the goalmouth but the loose ball was latched on to by Tijmen Rayenga, whose pass-cum-shot was flicked in by Duco Telgenkamp past Suraj Karkera.

Chasing the equaliser, Harmanpreet and Sanjay, unable to bypass the Netherlands press, were exchanging passes at the halfway line, untroubled at the 50th minute mark. Sanjay tried to force the initiative with a fizzed-in pass but it went out of bounds.

Seconds later, Netherlands turned defence into attack with three passes, with Tjep Hoedemakers deflecting the ball into the goal from a fierce Koen Bijen slapshot into the circle.

India responded immediately through Harmanpreet, playing with a back injury, finding the left-bottom corner with his side’s sixth and final PC to halve the deficit.

But India’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Manpreet’s error was punished by van Dam.

Published on Aug 22, 2026