India vs Netherlands Women's Hockey World Cup 2026 Match: (Hockey India Photo)India conceded early in the match but did well to keep the Netherlands at bay for the rest of the half, even managing to get some chances to go forward and trouble the Dutch defence in the second quarter. However, at the end of it all, India could at best make the Dutch work for their goal and eventually, the hosts and World No.1 eased to a 2-0 victory in the first match of the 2026 Women’s Hockey World Cup second round for both sides.
The defeat has left India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals hanging by a thread. Yibbi Jansen gave the Netherlands the lead in the second minute, converting their first penalty corner after the ball struck Sushila Chanu’s foot inside the circle. Later, with Jansen off the field Frederique Matla made no mistake with the drag flick off a penalty corner to double Netherlands’ lead.
SCROLL DOWN FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA VS NETHERLANDS, WOMEN’S HOCKEY WORLD CUP 2026:
Netherlands manage to get a PC towards the end and then squeezed a couple more PCs from that. India do well to keep them out and that is that. The Dutch juggernaut rolls on.
59th min: Navneet takes a vicious shot from the edge of the D and Anne Veenendaal seemed to have got it away with her hand. But then she needs a second to recover and replays showed that Navneet had hit it with such venom that the keeper didn't even have enough time to get her hand up, the ball clattered against her helmet. She takes a few seconds and is then good to go.
55th min: Once again, not too many circle entries to report on either side. India trying to maintain possession but the Dutch latch on to the tiniest of mistakes. The Indians, though, are doing very well thus far to not allow a third goal to go in.
Well nothing much to report in the opening minutes of this final quarter apart from Albers hitting the ball straight at goalkeeper Savita and the latter closing her feet to save it. But the Dutch have far more of the ball, the Indians struggling to keep possession, which is increasingly significant as the minutes go on.
The Dutch have managed to keep the ball for much of this quarter after scoring their second. The Indians have to go all out now but this is very tricky, they would also be wary of not conceding a stream of goals to a team that has scored 15 goals in the group stage.
41st min: And this is despite them being down to 10 players for the last 2 mins and for 2 mins more due to one of them receiving a green card. Matla took a drag flick from another PC that the Dutch had won and this time, India deal with it.
37th min: Jansen is off the field but no problems. Frederique Matler takes the drag flick, smashes it past first rusher Tete and past Bichu Devi for Netherlands' second goal of the night.
34th min: Some excellent first rush defending by captain Salima Tete to stop a drag flick from Jansen off a PC and then India break forward... ball cut back to Sunelita once it enters the D and she takes the shot. It doesn't have enough venom on it and the Dutch goaltender pushes it away with her foot.
India get us underway. They are down to 10 players for about 40 seconds of this half, with Beauty Dung Dung having received a green card towards the end of the first half.
Netherlands coach: “We just want to keep going. Quite happy with what we have done. Need to score the second one.”
India coach: “We can do better in terms of ball possession. Defensively, we are happy with what we have done so far.”
Very impressive from the Indians. They aren't just sitting back and defending, they have caused a few flutters in the Dutch defence in the second quarter.
28th min: Xan de Waard receives the ball inside the D on the left from Pien Dicke, who continues her run to the byline and gets it back from the former. She sends the ball in front of goal and for a while, it's a mad-eye scramble of sticks there with only the players knowing where the ball is. India somehow get it out.
25th min: The Dutch have reduced the speed of the match a bit in trying to regain the kind of unchallenged dominance they had early in the first quarter. Felice Albers makes her way into the D from the left and lets loose a shot. Savita does well to save it with her body.
19th min: Well, the tormentor is the guilty party here. Jansen first concedes a free hit for a foul on Lalremsiami and then concedes a PC itself. Good work from Lalremsiami taking tha free hit quickly, now then...
The first drag flick from Deepika PC is blocked away by a Dutch and PC awarded again. This time Netherlands deal with it legally but the Indians stay in their area.
15th min: The Great Wall of Indian hockey is on the field now, Bichu Devi Kharibam off for this quarter, as India have done all tournament long.
Well India should be happy with how that quarter went, even though they are trailing. The Dutch were all over them in the first 10 minutes or so and it really did look like they could score two or three in this quarter. But India did well to assert themselves in midfield with whatever they've got, which helped blunt the might of the Dutch, somewhat.
13th min: ...and Jansen hits the post! Not too many tumes you see that, a drag flick smashing onto the post and going right out of the D and Jansen missing from a PC.
12th min: Netherlands nick the ball away in midfield but then Shilpi Dabas does well to cover the danger, the Dutch player with the ball ends up smashing it out of the field really. Minutes later, Pien Sanders takes a shot that is slightly better but still off target.
10th min: Well, that little stretch of time with the ball has stretched a lot more and it has become a slightly more even contest. However, India are struggling to get anywhere the Dutch D.
7th min: Which isn't much of a surprise, Netherlands have always been a far superior team and Marijne did say that they are going into this match with nothing to lose. India have a bit of a moment with the ball around 7th min and they manage to keep the ball...
5th min: The ball suddenly enters the D from the right with India caught completely unawares. Dutch captain Veen Marijn moves it across goal but her teammate across is not able to get to the ball. Would've been an easy second goal there. The Netherlands ask for a referral though, they think the ball took the foot of an Indian defender in the D...
And they have won the referral. The Dutch are already in position for the PC by the time the decision is announced but they are made to wait by the Indians who scramble to collect their equipment. Jansen takes it again, this time Bichu Devi saves it brilliantly with her left foot.
2nd min: Nope, they can't. Bichu Devi stood absolutely no chance. Jansen lets loose a vicious drag flick and the ball hammers the back board of goal.
2nd min: Netherlands all over India, ball seems to hit Sushila Chanu's foot and the hosts get a PC in just the second minute of the time. Time for Yibbi Jansen to do her thing, can India stop what at most times seems inevitable?
Well, almost. The countdown got done and the Netherlands streamed forward with the ball, but the ref blew them right back to their starting places. She had not blown the whistle yet, that's what is the most important. And then, they go again, properly this time.
Raoul Ehren (Netherlands): "Before World Cup, we were hoping for this scenario. We want to play a good game and reach the semifinals. Last week we played a small practice game against them (India), they showed a lot of energy."
Sjoerd Marijne (India): "Very special (to face Ehren), close friends and business partners. The more special thing is that we're in the second round."
Not many would've thought that India and Netherlands' colours would ever clash on a sports arena but here we are. One could say that the traditional colours have been swapped, even, although Netherlands' away colours have been these for a long while now.
India: Ishika Chaudhary, Bichu Devi, Lalremsiami, Jyoti, Navneet Kaur, Sushila Chanu, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (c), Neha, Rutaja Pisal, Sakshi Rana
Netherlands: Anne Veenendaal (gk), Lisa Post, Xan de Waard, Yibbi Jansen, Renee van Laarhoven, Felice Albers, Pien Sanders, Sanne Koolen, Frederique Matla, Joosje Burg, Marijn Veen (c)
India face Netherlands in what is going to be a match that will be crucial in deciding how far they can go in this Women's Hockey World Cup. Stay tuned for more updates!
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