England defeated India 4-2 in their Group D match at the 2026 Hockey World Cup at the Wagner Hockey Stadium in the Netherlands. Nicholas scored twice for England, while Stuart and Henry added one goal each. For India, Harmanpreet Singh and Dilpreet Singh found the net once each. England secured their place in the second round of the Men’s Hockey World Cup after defeating India 4-2 in a dramatic Pool D encounter on Monday.
Nicholas Bandurak gave England an early advantage in the 13th minute, but India quickly turned the game around. Captain Harmanpreet Singh equalised from a penalty corner in the 16th minute before Dilpreet Singh put India ahead in the 24th minute. England came out strongly after the break and completely shifted the momentum in the second half. Stuart Rushmere restored parity in the 38th minute before Henry Croft scored four minutes later to give England a 3-2 lead.
England continued to dominate and added another goal to seal a 4-2 victory, securing their progression to the next round. India, meanwhile, must now wait for their final Pool D match against Pakistan on Wednesday. India currently have three points, while Pakistan and Wales have one point each. A win against Pakistan would guarantee India a place in the next round. However, India could also progress with a draw if Wales fail to defeat England in their final pool match.
Earlier, Pakistan and Wales played out an entertaining 3-3 draw in Pool D of the Hockey World Cup in Amsterdam, leaving both sides with one point after two matches and still in contention for a place in the second round. Pakistan made a bright start, with Abdul Rehman opening the scoring just three minutes into the game after producing an impressive aerial move along the baseline.
Wales responded strongly in the second quarter and capitalised on Pakistan’s numerical disadvantage after Sufyan Khan was shown a yellow card. Gareth Furlong levelled the contest with a powerful penalty-corner strike before Rhys Bradshaw put Wales ahead just 30 seconds later.