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Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh warns India needs a full 60-minute effort against Olympic champions Netherlands in their do-or-die FIH World Cup clash.
India had a mixed first round. (Picture Credit: FIH)
Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has warned India that a quarter-by-quarter effort will not be enough against Olympic champions Netherlands, demanding a complete 60-minute performance in their do-or-die FIH World Cup second-round clash.
India enter the second round without any points, while Netherlands and England carry three-point cushions after beating Argentina and India respectively in the opening phase. The result leaves India with little room for error, making the match against the Dutch crucial to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
“Playing well in patches won’t work. We have to play good hockey till the whistle is blown. We have to maintain the same body language and attitude; that is the most important thing,” Harmanpreet told PTI.
Alarm bells were ringing loudly after the team conceded three goals against Pakistan, with the defensive unit and goalkeepers not having a good game. Harmanpreet suggested that India have comprehensively worked on the mistakes that hurt them in the first round and will now try and avoid ‘silly mistakes’.
“We have video-analysed our mistakes in the last three matches, and the focus is on not repeating them. Defense has to be impeccable as we know that we can create opportunities in the opponents’ circle and earn PC. But mistakes in the backline are not acceptable. We must not concede goals on silly mistakes,” he said.
The Indians can take confidence from their most recent meeting with the Netherlands. India defeated the Dutch 3-2 in the final match of the 2025-26 FIH Pro League season in June, a result that Harmanpreet believes provides a blueprint for another upset.
“In that match we controlled the ball possession and did not let them win the ball in our half. If we could play with a similar strategy and energy, there is no reason why we can’t repeat that,” he said.
Harmanpreet, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, is likely to attract close attention from the Dutch defence. However, the India captain believes the team has enough attacking options to trouble the hosts.
“There is no pressure; rather, there is clarity that we have to win it. There is no other way. It’s a do-or-die match for us. Individually also I am not feeling any pressure. I will do what I have been doing for years now. If they are focusing on me, we have other weapons too to surprise them,” he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
August 21, 2026, 18:15 IST
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