India’s bright start to the Hockey World Cup suffered a setback as England came from behind to secure a 4-2 victory in a high-quality contest.
After beating Wales in their opening game, India looked to have built momentum when they recovered from an early setback and took a 2-1 lead into half-time. But England produced a strong second-half response, scoring three times to take control of the match.
England struck first in the 13th minute. India failed to deal with a long ball from deep, allowing Stuart Rushmere to bring it down and quickly release Nicholas Bandurak behind the Indian defence. Bandurak made no mistake with the finish, giving England a 1-0 lead.
India did not take long to respond. Just two minutes into the second quarter, Harmanpreet Singh stepped up and smashed a penalty corner into the top-left corner, leaving the English goalkeeper with no chance.
India then completed the turnaround in the 10th minute of the quarter. Hardik Singh and Abhishek combined down the left before Abhishek sent the ball across the face of goal. Dilpreet Singh was perfectly placed at the far post and tapped it home to put India ahead.
India went into half-time with a 2-1 advantage, but England came out with far greater intent after the break.
Rushmere scored his second goal of the match in the ninth minute of the third quarter, producing a clever flick to restore parity. Four minutes later, Henry Croft put England ahead again with a superb back-lift finish for his first World Cup goal.
England continued to put India under pressure in the final quarter and were rewarded with another penalty corner. Bandurak stepped up and found the net with a powerful drag-flick, completing his brace and extending England’s lead to 4-2.
India tried to fight their way back into the contest but struggled to create clear openings. Their task became even harder when Nilakanta Sharma received a yellow card, leaving India with 10 players for five minutes. England managed the closing stages well to secure all three points.
The defeat was a reality check for India after their encouraging opening win over Wales. They now face Pakistan in their final group match, knowing that nothing less than a win will be enough to keep alive their hopes of reaching the second group stage and remaining in contention for a podium finish.
England offered a reminder of their quality and composure when the pressure increased. For India, the focus now shifts entirely to the Pakistan clash.
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