Amstelveen [Netherlands], August 16 (ANI): The Indian men's hockey team will look to build on its winning start to the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 when it takes on England in its second Pool D encounter at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen on Monday.
After opening their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales, India will face an England side that also began its World Cup journey on a strong note, defeating Pakistan 4-1 on the opening day.
India's win over Wales saw the team make the most of its penalty-corner opportunities, with all three goals coming from set pieces. Captain Harmanpreet Singh led from the front with a brace after India opened their account through Sanjay on a penalty corner to secure three valuable points. Despite the comfortable scoreline, the team will be keen to improve its conversion from open play after creating several opportunities but being unable to find the net through a field goal, as per a Hockey India press release.
The clash against England, however, promises to be a closely fought contest given the recent history between the two sides.
One of the most memorable encounters came at the Paris Olympics, where India overcame a major setback to defeat England in the quarterfinal. Amit Rohidas was shown a red card in the 17th minute, leaving India with 10 players for the majority of the contest. The Indian side displayed tremendous resilience to hold its own against England and eventually finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
The rivalry has continued to produce closely contested encounters, with the two teams also facing each other twice during the recent FIH Pro League in London. On both occasions, neither side was able to settle the contest in regulation time, with the matches proceeding to shootouts. India and England shared the spoils, with each side securing one victory.
"When two evenly matched teams face off, then things can heat up on the pitch," said India's star midfielder Hardik Singh. "But we do not carry any animosity, as we are friends with many players in the England team irrespective of whatever happened in the Paris Olympics quarter-final. In major tournaments, we have always dominated them. However, it doesn't mean we can take them lightly. You have to be better than your opponent on that given day."
The head-to-head statistics over the recent years are only marginally in India's favour at 10 wins against England's 9, with five matches ending in a draw.
"Since we have started playing the Pro League, it has been pretty equal. But the World Cup is different. It is a must-win game for both the teams," said India's Chief Coach, Craig Fulton.
"They are the highest-ranked team in our pool, so we are really going to go after them. We have got to do a good job because they have got unbelievable players and a good structure. They are good at what they do. But we have our own plans, and hopefully we will foil their plans to put our mark on the game and try and get the three points," Fulton added.
Another win for either team will strengthen its position in Pool D, as the top two finishers from each of the four pools in the first stage of the tournament will progress to the next stage, still in the race for the semifinals, while the bottom two will be left to play classification games.
For India, the focus will be on maintaining the defensive solidity and penalty-corner efficiency that helped them overcome Wales while adding greater sharpness in front of goal. But against an England side capable of matching India's intensity and exploiting even small openings, India will need to be composed in possession and clinical inside the circle. (ANI)
FIH Men's Hockey WC: Indian Coach Fulton hails England's "unbelievable players" and "good structure" ahead of clash
