India hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has warned his teammates that playing well only in patches will not be enough against Olympic champions Netherlands, calling for a complete 60-minute performance in their crucial FIH Hockey World Cup second-round clash.
India enter the second round without any points, while the Netherlands and England carry three points each following their victories over Argentina and India respectively. The situation leaves India with little margin for error as they fight to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
“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.
Defence must eliminate mistakes
India’s defensive performance has emerged as a key concern after the team conceded three goals against Pakistan.
Harmanpreet said the squad has reviewed footage from its previous three matches and identified the mistakes that need to be corrected, particularly in the defensive end.
“We have video-analysed our mistakes in the last three matches, and the focus is on not repeating them,” he said.
The captain stressed that India’s defence must be disciplined throughout the contest, noting that the team remains confident in its ability to create scoring opportunities and earn penalty corners.
“Defence 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,” Harmanpreet added.
India draw confidence from Pro League win
India can take encouragement from its most recent encounter with the Netherlands, when it defeated the Dutch 3-2 in the final match of the 2025-26 FIH Pro League season in June.
Harmanpreet believes India’s approach in that match could provide a blueprint for another victory.
“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.
‘There is clarity that we have to win’
Harmanpreet enters the crucial encounter as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals and is expected to receive significant attention from the Dutch defence.
However, the Indian captain insisted he is not feeling additional pressure and said India possesses several other attacking threats capable of troubling the Netherlands.
“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,” Harmanpreet said.
He added that if the Netherlands concentrates heavily on stopping him, India has “other weapons” capable of making the difference.
With its World Cup campaign on the line, India will need to reproduce the discipline and intensity of its recent Pro League victory over the Dutch while eliminating the defensive errors that have hurt the team in earlier matches.
