FULL-TIME: India 1 - 2 Netherlands
India took the lead but it lasted only three minutes. Then a superior, smarter and more experienced side took control of the match, taking the lead in the last quarter even as India continue to play the catch-up.
FULL-TIME: India 1 - 2 Netherlands
And with that India's wait continues. India failed again against the Dutch in the World Cup. Now they will fight for a fith-place play-off.
SECOND-HALF
Fourth-Quarter (INDIA 1 - 2 NETHERLANDS)
0' - 15 second to the hooter, and India won a long corner. And it came. With no referral left, no chance from that goalmouth melee.
1' - Seve van Ass and Bob de Voogd killed the time in the corner. Kothajit won back the ball but afte a brilliant run from Manpreet, Lalit wasted the link play by footing the ball inside the D. So close for India.
2' - Brave defence from India with no goalkeeper. But the Netherlands took a referral, claiming an Indian foot was hit. And they lost the referral. India pressed hard and Surender won a free-hit.
3' - Perspiration turning into desperation for India. Mere sweats will not do the job. And India sacrificed the goalie. India took the referral from a cross with captain Manpreet Singh claiming that yellow-shirted Harmanoreet Singh was stick-blocked. Holding into the last straw? Stick seemed to strike from the behind. And lost the referral. Free-hit to the Dutch, and the three-time winners won another PC.
5' - Bob de Voogd got a free run, coming in from the left flank. Then, on the counter, Chinglensana produced a solo run to win a PC. India went for the tomahawk and wasted. Too slow to attempt the reverse.
7' - Yellow card for Amit Rohidas. Ten minutes for him. He hit the left arm of a Dutch player. India chasing 2-1 with a man down. What a silly play. Probably the decisive moment of the match.
8' - No support for Harmanpreet Singh, as the Indian defender found himself pinned down by two Dutch players near the corner. India somehow escaped unscathed.
10' - Seve van Ass showing his class again. Varun blocked the run, and PC to the Netherlands. India lost a defender after an early run. In the second take, Mink van der Weerden beat the Indian goalie with a bullet drag flick in the centre. Second GOAL for the Dutch.
12' - Simran took too long to release the back for his two waiting team-mates just in front of teh Dutch goalmouth. What a miss.
13' - Quick turnovers. Jeroen Hertzberger then won a freehit on the left edge of the D. They then rolled back the ball to launch another attack anew. A fatal mistake from Varun Kumar just outside the D. Dutch won the ball just outside the box and scored. But India challenged, and it returned positive. Varun must be heaving a sigh of relief. The ball hit the foot of a Dutch player to deflect, and create the chance.
Third-Quarter (INDIA 1 - 1 NETHERLANDS)
0 ' - Simran drew a free-hit from Glenn Schuurman near the centre line. India scored with Mandeep Singh slotting home with a cool takedown from Nilakanta's minus. But only for the referee to declare the ball dangerous.
1' - Harmanpreet Singh's tactical block against Thierry Brinkman's run gave away a free-hit to the Dutch. And India survived yet another threat.
3' - Kothajit showing his maturity by not rushing through the things. Waited the ball and coolly placed it on a Dutch foot. Fre-hit for India from deep inside their half.
5' - Referee didn't like Sumit's tackle on Mirco Pruyser. Free kick to the Netherlands. But India did well to intercept the hit from the free-hit. Green card. India once again escaped unpunished.
6' - Number of turnovers clearly in Dutch's favour, in all quarters so far. Worrying moments for Indian fans as the ball moved past the Indian goal-mouth.
8' - On the counter, India lost a great chance to take the lead. Dilpreet just inches away from the cross.
9' - Ball stuck to Seve van Ass' stick like it came with some glue, and the star player made some sweet dummies to beat Indian midfielders. Jorrit Croon, then win a free hit.
10' - Chinglensana linked up with Simran, then captain Manpreet Singh took a long time to release or hit. His indecision proved, well a waste for India.
11' - Dutch captain Billy Bakker on a free run, won another PC. Brave run from Amit to block but conceded another PC. Foot. PC again, Amit again. India took the referral. Replays show the ball climbing high, and hitting the thighs. It's a body hit. India won the referral. Freehit to India.
12' - But India did well to thwart the attack, and got into a counter, using the width of the field. Amit's free-hit almost found an Indian stick inside the D.
13' - India under immense pressure. The start of the third quarter clearly belonged to the three-time champions. Sreejesh summoned to some acrobatics save, then a wide drag from PC.
FIRST-HALF
2nd Quarter (INDIA 1 - 1 NETHERLANDS)
0' -Just like in the first quarter, the Dutch ended on a high even though India got to clear the ball with a scoop. Hooter...
1' - Dutchman Glenn Schuurman got an earful for a rough play. he escaped a card. Then, India lost the possession with seconds left in the quarter.
2' - Seve van Ass had a good solo run, but India launched a counter. Surender got a nasty run-in with Dutch player. First Green Card of the match, to the Netherlands.
4' - Lalit, winning the ball back and making sure that India got a move. Brilliant play from the experienced campaigner. India then launched an attack, with captain Manpreet Singh drilling through the Dutch defence.
6' - Nilakanta's ambitious hit was blocked by the Dutch goalie. From the following play, India missed a good chance from close quarter.
8' - Chinglensana, running the line, won a free hit. he was then fouled by a Dutch player. Dutchgoalscorerr Thierry Brinkman got physical, pushing an Indian player. Referee reprimanded.
9' - Mink van der Weerden made an easy run inside the Indian D from the left. Harmanpreet Singh, then, launched India's counter.
10' - India buying time, rolling the ball inside their own half, looking for openings. But none come so far in the quarter.
11' - Jeroen Hertzberger's ambitious push on the line missed everyone on the left flank. Free hit for India, but poor play in the centre again.
13' - India started the quarter sprightly, winning grounds, pressing for the lead. Akashdeep Singh won a free-kick just outside the D. But wasted the chance with a wayward hit.
1st Quarter (INDIA 1 - 1 NETHERLANDS)
0' - Good counter-attack from India with Varun launching a long ball. But the Dutch responded with a fast counter of their own. A GOAL with three seconds left in the quarter. Referral. What a reply. Nothing to lose and the Dutch are back. Thierry Brinkman was lucky but also valiant to keep his ground even as an Indian defender charged on.
2' - Scrappy defence from India. Kothajit, on the last line of defence, cleared the loose ball.
3' - The game has just picked up. A couple of turnovers with both the sides getting chances. Then, India won the first PENALTY CORNER. Harmanpreet Singh's drill was speeding and it caught the foot of a Dutch player inside the D.
GOAL! Akashdeep Singh scored. A reverse hit from rebound and it hit the right top corner of the goal.
6' - Ever impressive Seve van Ass running the show. He's winning the balls and also starting the attacks.
9' - India found themselves in a good position with Nilakanta breaching the defence, but Mandeep failed inside the D.
10' - India have so failed to hold on to the ball, losing the second and third balls. Hardik Singh once again gifted the possession with a wayward release in the centre.
12' - The Dutch, from the start, looking for deflections, and they sounded the first warning by hitting the plank. But it was from outside the D. Lucky India, there was no deflection.
13' - Early pressure from the Dutch, but India got the first real chance, a penetration from the right flank. Lalit broke the defence but Simran wasted the chance by footing.
Brief preview:
Last time India host an FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, in 2010, they finished eighth after losing the seventh-eighth place play-off to Argentina. Since then, India have won some tournaments – mostly continental – and missed out on some.
In the next edition, India dropped one more place to finish ninth in the Netherlands. And it was just another chapter in the story of Indian hockey's seemingly 'unstoppable' fall. Since winning the World Cup in 1975, India have finished 6th, 5th, 12th, 10th 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 8th, 9th – failing to go beyond the quarter-final stage in each of those 10 editions.
And now, a young Indian team finds itself in a good position to break that jinx and go for the ultimate glory. But first, they will need to pass a stern Dutch test in front of a home crowd, who have stood for the team in the worst of times.
Welcome to our live coverage of India-Netherlands semi-final match of the 2018 FIH Men's Hockey World Cup being played at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.