There was a strange sight at the Wagener Stadium: India were in orange, the Netherlands in blue. The colour swap was about the only thing the Dutch had surrendered. For long stretches, India surrendered almost everything else.

The Netherlands beat India 2-0 on Friday to underline the gulf between the World No.1 and a team that had arrived in the second round of the World Cup unbeaten and with renewed belief. India defended bravely and made the Dutch work for their goals, but never managed to keep the ball for long enough to seriously threaten the hosts.

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.

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It could have been the beginning of a rout. Instead, India dug in. Bichu Devi made an important save from another Jansen drag-flick in the first quarter, while another effort from the Dutch struck the post. India’s defenders threw themselves into the path of shots and passes, repeatedly denying the Netherlands the clean openings they usually manufacture.

In this image received on Aug. 21, 2026. Local supporters dressed in orange jerseys to support the Dutch team but India’s women hockey team wore the orange jersey during the 2026 Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup badminton match.

But there was a problem at the other end. India simply couldn’t hold on to possession. Every time they won the ball, the Dutch press closed in. Passes went astray, clearances were hurried and promising moments disappeared before India could turn them into sustained attacks. At half-time, Sjoerd Marijne acknowledged as much, urging his team to keep the ball better.

There were flashes of what India could do. Deepika’s drag-flick from a penalty corner was blocked, and Navneet Kaur found space after an aerial ball but could not hit the target. Sunelita Toppo also got forward early in the second half, only for the Dutch goalkeeper to deny her. But those moments were rare.

The Netherlands eventually doubled their advantage in the third quarter. A foot inside the Indian circle handed them another penalty corner, and Frederique Matla made no mistake, sending a precise drag-flick past the onrushing defenders.

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For India, the task then became even harder. They had spent much of the evening defending, and the Dutch were not going to willingly give them the ball. The 2-0 scoreline was therefore less a reflection of an Indian collapse than of a team being gradually squeezed out of the contest by opponents who are exceptionally good at controlling games.

However, India left the game with their semi-final hopes still alive – they will face Australia in a do-or-die match on Sunday – but with a much clearer idea of what the next level demands. The Aussies had drawn 1-1 with China earlier in the day.