Harpal Singh Bedi
New Delhi 12th April : India suffered their fourth successive defeat as the men-in-blue lost 1-3 to Australia in their penultimate game of the five-match hockey Test series in Perth on Friday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (12’) gave a lead to the visitors but Jeremy Hayward (19’, 47’) and Jack Welch (54’) scored goals to help hosts secure victory.Like in the previous outing India opened the match with a strong attacking stance. In the first minute, Mandeep Singh, left unmarked in the circle, unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal, only to be denied by goalkeeper, Andrew Charter. The hosts, however, didn’t lag in offensive play, earning two consecutive penalty corners which they couldn’t convert.Despite Australia’s pressure, India managed to secure multiple penalty corners . Just before the first quarter ended, Harmanpreet Singh (12’) capitalized on one of these opportunities, firing the ball with precision into the net, to give his side a 1-0 The goal startled the hosts as they came out all guns blazing in the second quarter and also won two quick penalty corners, and they were able to capitalise on the second one when Jeremy Hayward (19’) expertly placed the ball into the net.
The contest continued with intense back-and-forth action, yet neither team managed to find the back of the net again in the quarter. India commenced the third quarter with an aggressive approach, earning an early penalty corner which unfortunately didn’t translate into a goal. However Australia prioritized ball retention and utilized quick passes to navigate past India’s defense. India on the other hand adopted counter-attacking strategy to keep the pressure on the hosts, but teams failed to break the deadlock in the third quarter. In the last quarter Australia asserted dominance, by swiftly entering the circle and earning consecutive penalty corners. Jeremy Hayward (47’) once again showcased his prowess by converting one, giving his team the lead. Despite India’s efforts, including a near-miss for an equalizer shortly after conceding, they couldn’t breach Australia’s goalkeeper. The hosts extended their advantage with Jack Welch (54’) finding the net from a penalty corner, making it 3-1 in Australia’s favour.Desperate India’s late surge, securing three consecutive penalty corners, they couldn’t convert any, resulting in a 3-1 victory for Australia as the referee blew the full-time whistle.
India takes Australia in their fifth and last game of the tour on 13th April .