Indian Hockey Team loses 1-5 to Australia in first match of tour Hockey News

The Indian hockey team lost 1-5 to Australia in the first match of the five-match Test series. Tim Brand (3′), Tom Wickham (20′, 38′), Joel Rintala (37′) and Flynn Flynn Ogilvie (57′) was the scorer for the home team while Gurjant Singh (47′) scored for India. In the first quarter, the Indian team adopted a strategy centered on possession of the ball and controlling the tempo of the game. However, despite their efforts, Australia took an early advantage in the game.

Tim Brand (3′) broke through the Indian defense on a quick counterattack and scored to give Australia the lead. In response to this setback, India stepped up its attack and put increasing pressure on the hosts. The Australian team increased its offensive intensity and won two consecutive corner kicks. Nonetheless, Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh showed extraordinary skill and made two excellent saves to thwart Australia’s attempts to extend their lead.

Meanwhile, India got through the Australian defense and even got a penalty chance but failed to capitalize. At the end of the first quarter, Australia leads 1-0.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Indian team adopted an aggressive offensive approach and resolutely tied the score. Despite being awarded an early penalty corner opportunity, they failed to make the most of it. The home side, on the other hand, continued to push forward and were eventually rewarded with a superb finish from Tom Wickham (20′), effectively doubling Australia’s lead.

After successfully extending their lead, the home team turned their attention to possession, effectively containing India’s attack. When the half-time whistle blew, Australia easily led 2-0 and firmly controlled the proceedings of the game.

In the third quarter, Australia continued to put pressure on India, frequently pressuring and testing India’s defense capabilities. That perseverance paid off and they soon added two more goals. Joel Rintala (37 feet) and Tom Wickham (38 feet) made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves, effectively extending Australia’s lead quickly to 4-0.

Australia won an early corner kick in the fourth and final quarter, but India not only prevented the home team from taking advantage but also pulled a goal back through Gurjant Singh’s powerful effort (47′). However, Flynn Ogilvie (57′) scored from a penalty corner to give the hosts a 5-1 victory and restore Australia’s four-goal lead.

The team will face Australia in the second match of the tour on April 7, 2024 at 14:00 (IST).

All matches from Australia’s tour of India will be broadcast on Sports18-3 and Sports18-1 HD. The match will also be broadcast live on Jio Cinema.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)