Fulton urges India to refocus in Amstelveen as World Cup moves to second round

India head coach Craig Fulton urged his team to refocus in Amstelveen on August 21, 2026, ahead of the second-round phase of the men’s Hockey World Cup. The next stage begins with a match against the Netherlands on Saturday, which Fulton called a "new tournament."

India produced a mixed Pool-stage performance that left them second behind England and requiring two wins to give themselves a good chance of qualifying for the semifinals. "We’re a little bit behind the eight ball because we didn’t take the three points through. But at this level as well, any team can beat any team," Fulton told The Hindu. "That doesn’t mean we’re out. We have to take care of our two games. We’ll just go one game at a time and let’s see what happens."

Fulton identified defensive shortcomings and unforced errors that exposed India to transitions, noting the team has conceded eight goals — the worst defensive record among the top eight sides remaining in the tournament. He stressed the need to improve the press and the counterattacking game ahead of matches against two dangerous opponents, the Netherlands and Argentina.

The recent head-to-head record against those opponents offers little comfort: India’s recent meetings against these sides yielded just one 3-2 win over the Dutch, while losing the other three with an aggregate scoreline of 4-15.

Reflecting on the loss to Pakistan and the different demands of the upcoming fixtures, Fulton said, "It’s a game [vs Pakistan] that is steeped in history, where we need to take more structure into that game, and it got away from us a little bit. "But at the same time, we played well offensively and then let them back in the game...Now, we have a totally different opposition, that if we give them too many opportunities, yes, they will punish you. "We’re playing well going forward, and we need to keep improving on the defence and keeping the confidence in going forward. So the press, the counter, is where we need to just keep hammering," said the South African.

While Harmanpreet Singh’s form makes India a lethal Penalty Corner outfit, the three goals from field play rank it ninth in the 16-team tournament. On India’s lack of field goals, Fulton said, "It’s a [matter of] small composure. They play a certain way, and one team plays man-to-man, one team plays zonal, which puts seven players, eight players in the D. "That’s a different approach to playing if there were three in the D. We’ve got different plans for both teams, but at the same time, we’ve got to implement our plan."

India face the Netherlands on Saturday and will also play Argentina in the second round; securing two wins across those matches is the immediate requirement if the team is to give itself a good chance of reaching the semifinals.