India’s men’s hockey team surrendered a half-time lead to suffer a 2-4 defeat against higher-ranked England in their second Pool D match at the 2026 Hockey World Cup in Amstelveen on Monday.
The defeat leaves India with three points from two matches and makes their final pool game against Pakistan crucial for their hopes of reaching the second round.
England opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Nicholas Bandurak, but India responded impressively before the interval. Captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 17th minute before Dilpreet Singh put India ahead in the 25th minute, giving the Asian side a 2-1 advantage at half-time.
The momentum, however, shifted decisively after the break.
Stuart Rushmere restored parity for England in the 39th minute before Henry Croft completed the turnaround in the third quarter, putting England 3-2 ahead.
India struggled to find a response in the final quarter, while England continued to threaten. Bandurak struck again in the 55th minute, converting from a penalty corner to complete his brace and give England a two-goal cushion.
The result marks India’s first defeat of the tournament after they began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales.
India now face Pakistan in their final Pool D fixture on Wednesday. With Pakistan currently on one point after two matches, India need at least a draw to secure progression to the second round.
A defeat against their neighbours, however, would bring India’s World Cup campaign to an end.
