New Delhi: India conceded three goals in the second half to suffer a crushing 4-2 defeat at the hands of England in their second Pool D match in the FIH
Hockey World Cup 2026 on Monday, August 17. India kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 win against Wales in their tournament opener last week.
Despite England being higher-ranked, India were expected to put up a fight in the contest. However, the Harmanpreet & Co. were thoroughly outplayed in the second half despite going 2-1 up with the help of goals from captain Harmanpreet Singh and Dilpreet Singh.
Nicholas Bandurak scored the opening goal for England in the 13th minute to put his team 1-0 up in the game. Harmanpreet found the equaliser for India in the 16th minute when he converted the team’s first penalty corner in the game. He launched a brilliant drag flick from the spot to beat the England keeper comfortably and make it 1-1 for his team.
India earned a golden chance to double their lead just minutes later, but Abhishek missed the opportunity. Dilpreet extended India’s lead to 2-1 in the 24th minute by tapping home from a superb flick from Abhishek. India seemed to be flying at one stage in the game, however, England bounced back strongly.
England rock India with 3 goals in 2nd half
India went into half-time with a 2-1 lead, but were rocked by England in the second half. England scored thrice under 16 minutes in the second half to secure a 4-2 lead and sealed a thumping victory in the end with a valiant display.
Stuart Rushmere scored the equaliser for England in the 38th minute with a brilliant flick. Henry Croft then finished another superb move started by Rushmere with a magnificent finish to restore England’s lead in the contest. Harmanpreet missed a penalty corner in the 2nd half, missing out on a chance to restore parity.
Bandurak sealed England’s thumping win by scoring his second goal in the 54th minute to make it 4-2, ending India’s hopes of making a comeback in the contest. India will now take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their next pool match. A defeat against Pakistan will see India get eliminated from the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.
