New low in hockey: Indian men lose seven games in a row in Pro League, record longest-ever losing streak

The India coach instantly apologised for the f-bomb on live TV. But you wondered how mad he must have been inside the dressing room at half-time, if he was that furious in front of the world during a mid-game interview.

Whatever Fulton must have said had an impact… for five minutes. India, trailing 0-2 at half-time to former Olympic and world champions Belgium, came out ‘on the front foot’ — as Fulton wished — and scored the game’s ‘next goal’ — as the coach hoped. They, in fact, got the next two to make it 2-2.

Then, something snapped. It looked like the team that was motoring forward and overwhelming Belgium with their surging runs pulled the handbrakes, and were a complete car wreck, losing 6-3 in their penultimate FIH Pro League match in Antwerp.

The Olympic bronze medallists, who landed in Europe with their eyes on the big prize — the title and a 2026 World Cup spot — have now lost seven on the bounce. And regardless of what happens in their final league game on Sunday, also against Belgium, they will return home with a dubious record — the longest-ever losing streak. Before this tournament, the six consecutive defeats at the London Olympics were the men’s team’s longest losing run.

The difference, however, between then and now is that at London 2012, the team was disjointed and looked completely hopeless. This time, despite them losing seven, the situation doesn’t appear dire.

Six out of the seven losses have been by one-goal margins. On Saturday, until the last few minutes, they were very much in the game. But the wheels came off as, in search of an equaliser at 2-3 down, they marched forward, leaving big gaps in the defence, which the Belgians masterfully exploited and India imploded.

And although the management won’t press the panic button yet, it is a concern that the team, which seemed destined for bigger things after back-to-back Olympic medals, suddenly looks like it has forgotten how to win.

Slow off the blocks

As has been the case many times in the last two weeks, India were again slow off the blocks.

Suraj Karkera was behind his goal, arranging the equipment neatly, when the umpire blew the whistle to initiate the pushback. The Belgians saw an empty Indian goal, and without wasting any time, lobbed the ball close to the Indian ‘D’. Karkera scrambled back to the goal but the defenders were instantly put under pressure and they conceded a corner after just 13 seconds.

Six out of the seven losses for India have been by one-goal margins in FIH Pro League. (Credit: Hockey India)

Alexander Hendrickx’s drag-flick was straight at Karkera, at a comfortable height. The Indian goalkeeper, who had a good tournament until Saturday, used his glove to block it. But instead of directing the ball sideways, away from danger, he put it right in front of his goal and Arthur van Doren latched on to it to give the home team the lead.

Belgium had three shots on the Indian goal inside the first minute. So intense was their pressing and so strong were they on the ball that the hosts barely gave India a moment to breathe. It must be a record of sorts that for the first 13 minutes and 10 seconds of the match, India could not even enter the Belgian ‘D’ even once.

Fulton wanted ‘controlled aggression’ from his boys at the start of the match. But once again, they were being bullied.

Belgium doubled their lead just before half-time, in the 28th minute, after Hendrickx flicked the ball through Karkera’s legs. And at that point, the seventh loss loomed large.

Fulton’s half-time dressing down had a momentary impact and from wanting ‘controlled aggression’ his message to the players changed, asking them to play ‘on the front foot’.

The players responded. Dilpreet Singh scored within seconds of restart — from a rebound off a penalty corner — and then, in the 38th minute, Mandeep Singh equalised in somewhat fortunate circumstances, his deflection got deflected by a Belgian stick past the goalkeeper and into the goal.

India must have felt at that moment that their luck had changed. They sustained the pressure for a couple of minutes more but Belgium then broke free once again, with the veteran Tom Boon starting to dictate play. Once Belgium reclaimed the lead again in the 49th minute, India went all out in desperation. The situation warranted cool minds. Instead, India looked frustrated and ended up conceding three more goals in the last seven minutes to lose 6-3.

India will think they are lucky that Ireland have had a poorer run than them, else they could well have been relegated to the plate division of the global league.

Belgium 6 (Arthur van Doren 1’, 54’, Alexander Hendrickx 28’, Roman Duvekot 49’, Thibeau Stockbroexx 53’, Tom Boon 59’) beat India 3 (Dilpreet Singh 36’, Mandeep Singh 38’, Amit Rohidas 58’)