India are all but out of the Hockey World Cup semi-finals race after losing to the Netherlands in the Group E encounter on Saturday. The Indian contingent now needs a major miracle if they are to have any shot at reaching the last four. The side coached by Craig Fulton held the Dutch to a stalemate till the half-time, but it was only a matter of time before the Netherlands broke the deadlock, and that moment came in the third quarter. India did manage to peg one goal back, but it wasn’t enough, and in the end, the hosts registered a 3-1 victory at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.
For the Netherlands, Duco Telgenkamp, Tjep Hoedemakers, and Thijs van Dam got their names on the scoring sheet, while India’s lone goal came through a physically-struggling Harmanpreet Singh, who converted from a penalty corner.
Also Read: IND vs NED Highlights, Hockey World Cup
Throughout the contest, the Netherlands were the better team, and the result reflected the performances of both teams on the big day.
(More to follow…)
