Amstelveen, India will face their toughest challenge in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup pool stage when they take on world-ranked England on Monday. The 32-year wait for a World Cup win over their European rivals adds an extra edge to the crucial Pool D clash.
India began their campaign with a 3-1 win over lower-ranked Wales on Saturday, with captain Harmanpreet Singh converting two penalty corners and Sanjay also finding the net from a set piece. The result against the team they have already played in the first round is carried forward, which could prove decisive in the race for the semifinals. India will also look to improve on an otherwise satisfactory opening performance against Wales. The forward line, especially Abhishek and Sukhjeet, created chances but could not finish from open play, leaving the team heavily reliant on set pieces. India started well against Wales, scoring two goals in the first quarter itself, but after that, there was a visible drop in intensity, which could prove costly in the matches ahead. “There are ups and downs in the game, but our focus is currently on the World Cup. We have come well prepared and the team is in form. For Harmanpreet and his team, the equation is simple another win would put them in a strong position heading into the second half of the tournament, while a defeat could make the battle for the top two considerably tighter.
Asked about India’s Pro League struggles, Harmanpreet had said the team was focused on the World Cup. We will focus on taking it match by match and creating as many scoring opportunities as possible,” he said.
The two teams had a closely-fought encounter in the London leg of the Pro League before the World Cup, with both sides winning a penalty shootout and earning bonus points.
