The more time India spend in the attacking half, the more opportunities there are for Harmanpreet to influence the game with his stick. (Hockey India Photo)The most important battle when India face the Netherlands on Saturday may take place nowhere near either circle.Instead, it will be fought in the middle of the pitch, where Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh and India’s other midfielders will come up against a Dutch side that has made controlling games almost an art form.The Netherlands have started this World Cup in characteristic fashion. They move the ball patiently, draw opponents out and then accelerate through the gaps that appear. Against New Zealand and Argentina, they spent long stretches playing on their terms, turning possession into territory and territory into pressure.India have seen that side of them before. They also know the Netherlands can be hurt.When the two teams met in Rotterdam in June, India won 3-2, with Hardik at the centre of a performance that unsettled the Dutch. India pressed, broke quickly and repeatedly found ways through a defence rarely made to look uncomfortable. India’s players huddle before the World Cup Field Hockey pool D match between India and Pakistan in Amstelveen, Netherlands, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)Saturday’s meeting carries considerably more weight.India’s midfield has experienced both ends of the spectrum at this World Cup. Against England, the centre of the pitch gradually slipped away from them as the match progressed and England took control. Against Pakistan, the midfield became almost irrelevant at times as the game turned into an end-to-end contest, with India eventually winning 5-3.Neither scenario is attractive against the Netherlands.Story continues below this adThe Dutch are unlikely to allow the match to descend into the chaos the Pakistan one did. Nor are they likely to simply hand India possession. Their strength lies in making opponents work for the ball and then punishing them when their shape breaks.That puts particular emphasis on India’s ability to connect the two ends of the pitch.Hardik’s ball-carrying and ability to break the first line of pressure will be important. So will Manpreet’s experience and the work of the midfielders around them. India have enough pace in the forward line to exploit spaces, but those forwards need the ball early and in the right areas.There is a direct link to Harmanpreet Singh, as well. A lot of attention on India’s captain will inevitably centre on the penalty corner, and he has already shown in this tournament how quickly he can change a game with his drag-flick. But Harmanpreet’s chances do not begin at the top of the circle.Story continues below this adThey begin with India winning the ball, moving it through midfield and getting into the Dutch circle.The more time India spend in the attacking half, the more opportunities there are for Harmanpreet to influence the game with his stick. If the Dutch instead control the middle, Harmanpreet could find himself spending the evening organising India’s defence and dealing with Dutch attacks rather than waiting for penalty corners.That dual responsibility is part of what makes the midfield battle so important.India’s captain has to be available for the decisive moment, but the players in front of him have to help create those moments.Story continues below this adRecent evidence suggests India can produce those moments. The win in Rotterdam showed that the Dutch can be pressured and that India can match their pace. But the Netherlands are playing at home, have looked composed through the opening phase of the World Cup and know how to make opponents defend for long periods.For India, this may therefore be less about producing one spectacular performance than about staying connected for 60 minutes.The midfield will be where that connection is tested first.And if India can keep the Dutch from taking control there, they may give Harmanpreet exactly what he needs: a game in which his drag-flick, rather than his defensive work, becomes the defining contribution.Live on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar, 7:30 p.m.Over the course of a 18-year-long career, Mihir Vasavda has covered 2010 FIFA World Cup; the London 2012, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games; Asian Games in 2014 and 2022; Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2018; Hockey World Cups in 2018 and 2023 and the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup. ... Read More Tags:Hockey World Cup