No room for error as India faces stern Dutch test in Men’s Hockey World Cup second-round opener

AMSTELVEEN: India will face its biggest test when it takes on co-host and reigning Olympic champion the Netherlands in the World Cup second round opener here on Saturday, aware that there is virtually no room for error in its bid to reach the semifinals.

Key points

• By contrast the Dutch team won all three matches convincingly, defeating New Zealand 5-1, Argentina 3-1 and Japan 4-1.
• After losing the opening game by the same margin, it defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in the final FIH Pro League match in Rotterdam in June.
• The 10, 000-capacity venue is projected to be full of Dutch supporters.
• Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh, with 420 international appearances, and forward Mandeep Singh.
• Against the Netherlands, India will need to be sharper in every department, especially when it loses possession and when the Dutch commence to turn the screw.

India's biggest concern remains its tendency to lose control after making solid starts. While a 2-1 half-time lead against England slipped away as it conceded twice in the third quarter and eventually lost 2-4, it led Pakistan 3-0 and 4-1 before allowing the arch-rival to fight back in a 5-3 victory.

Against one of the most lethal attacking sides in world hockey, India can not afford lapses.

Meanwhile, the challenge before India is not restricted to just the quality of the opposition. It additionally has to contend with capacity crowd at the Wagener Stadion.

In practice, the 10, 000-capacity venue is projected to be full of Dutch supporters. This person have turned up in enormous numbers throughout the tournament. A sea of orange in the stands, constant chanting and passionate backing for the home side could create the setting intimidating for India.

Under the new format, the top two teams from Pools D and A form Pool E, with the top two advancing to the semifinals. Since India have already lost to England, they will not face them again in this phase, but England carry three points forward, making victories in India's remaining matches all the more significant.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands additionally carried three points in the second round having defeated the Argentina in the first round.

For context, the pool A topper Netherlands won its first World Cup title at this particularly venue in 1973, defeating India and went on to lift the trophy again in 1990 and 1998. Its consistency at the highest level makes it one of the toughest opponents. But India has shown it is not invincible.

After losing the opening game by the same margin, it defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in the final FIH Pro League match in Rotterdam in June. Jugraj Singh, Abhishek and Rajinder Singh scored in that victory, and all three are part of the Indian World Cup squad.

While captain Harmanpreet Singh has been in outstanding form with five goals, the most in the tournament so far, abhishek has carried that confidence into the tournament, scoring two superb field goals against Pakistan.

In practice, the Indian captain, though, knows that the team must tighten up defensively if it is to go deep into the competition.

"We need to improve our deep defence for the tough matches ahead. If we obtain the ball within 25 metres, we need to keep it. We created silly mistakes that allowed Pakistan to score. We need to learn from these and perform better going forward, " Harmanpreet had remarked after the Pakistan match.

His assessment underlines the biggest challenge facing India: converting solid starts into complete performance in each quarter. The Dutch are well aware of the threat India pose.

"India is a dangerous team as we have played against them in the FIH Pro League. On their day they can beat any team and their captain Harmanpreet Singh looks in top form, " the Netherlands captain Thierry Brinkman remarked after defeating Japan in the last group match.

Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh, with 420 international appearances, and forward Mandeep Singh. This person has 291 caps, are projected to bring composure.

Taken together, the developments around no room for error as India faces stern Dutch test in Men's point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.