India, Aug. 21 -- This was always going to be a difficult match for the Indian women's hockey team. A game against the mighty Netherlands.

The last time the two teams met in a major competition, the Dutch beat India 5-1 at the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The Netherlands won again on Friday when they faced India in the second group stage of the Women's Hockey World Cup.

Despite the 2-0 loss at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen though, India showed how much they have grown since that meeting in Japan five years ago.

The team has had to transition with new and younger players. But under the tutelage of Sjoerd Marijne (the same coach who led them in Tokyo) who returned to coach the team earlier this year, India has continued to grow an...