India?s Arjun Halappa (left) and Holland?s Ronald Brouwer in action during their Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Sunday. (Reuters)

Lahore: India suffered their second successive defeat losing to Holland 4-5 in a league match of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Sunday.

India showed a remarkable improvement in their game following the morale shattering loss to Spain on Saturday, but their effort was not enough to get them past the defending champions at the National Hockey Stadium.

On important aspect visible in India?s game Sunday was their positive approach when they were down in the dumps. They came close to equalling the margin twice in the last few minutes of the match with Holland leading 5-3.

They also hardly missed scoring opportunities that captain Dilip Tirkey had said as ?an old disease? after the 0-4 drubbing against Spain.

The Dutch started the match in an attacking mode and immediately put a lot of pressure on their opposition with some fine moves from both the flanks but it was India who took the lead in the fifth minute.

The goal scored by Sandeep Michael gave India the much-needed boost they needed against a team like Holland, but their joy was shortlived as the Europeans bounced back in style slamming home five minutes later through greet Jan Derixk.

Derixk scored off a rebound after Taeke Taekema?s shot, from the team?s second penalty corner, hit the bar and came on to play. Then there was no looking back for Holland who intensified the pressure with some perfect long balls and swift movements which put enormous pressure on the Indians who conceded as many as 10 penalty corners in the match.

India were lucky not to concede a goal when umpire Daniel Santi disallowed a Dutch strike on the grounds that the ball had gone out of the backline before Teun de Nooijer hit it in.

Holland, though, made amends soon after when Taekema scored from a penalty corner in the 16th minute to give his side a 2-1 lead.

Although V. S. Vinay made the scores 2-2 four minutes later, Holland pumped in two more goals, Nooijer off a rebound from penalty corner in the 25th minute and Karel Claver just a minute before half-time.

At that stage India looked almost out of the match but that was not to be as the side regrouped themselves well to stage a comeback in the second half.

Appearing charged up after the break, India forced their way into the Holland circle with some purposeful moves and earned a penalty stroke 10 minutes into the half. Arjun Halappa converted the goal to set the stage for an exciting finish.

Holland went on the defensive as India grew in confidence and carried out some very good moves particularly from the right flank with some short but accurate passes in a bid to level the scores. But the Holland defence held ground to deny the Indians.

With the Indians threatening to level the scores, Holland put in another goal through Nooijer in the 59th minute. The Indians reduced the margin again in the 61st minute through a brilliant Vikram Pillay goal but failed to force any point from the match.

India take on Germany on Tuesday after Monday?s rest day while Holland play hosts Pakistan.