The four-match friendly series between the Indian and Australian women’s hockey teams commenced with a close encounter that saw Australia edge the visitors for a narrow 2-1 victory at the Perth Hockey Stadium here.
India struck first in the opening quarter with Navneet Kaur converting a penalty corner to give her side an early lead. The Indian defence remained resolute for much of the first half, successfully maintaining its advantage through the second quarter.
However, momentum shifted in the second half as Australia’s Abby Wilson capitalised on two penalty-corner opportunities, scoring in both the third and fourth quarters to secure a comeback win for the hosts.
The two sides will meet again on May 27 for the second match of the series. The four-match friendly series marks a crucial point in the Indian women’s hockey team’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup in New Zealand. In four matches on their preparatory tour, the Salima Tete-led squad aims to build vital momentum ahead of the crucial Women’s Nations Cup event.
Fresh from an encouraging display in Argentina earlier this year, where India held the World No. 2 side by levelling the four-match series 2-2 after losing two matches, the Indian squad enters this tour high on confidence. The squad spent the last few weeks grinding through high-intensity tactical drills at the national training camp in SAI Bengaluru, which helped the players sharpen their skills, structural play, penalty corner variations and overall match fitness under the watchful eyes of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.
The 22-member Indian squad features an exciting mix of youth and experience, with rising talents Sonam, Hina Bano and Lalthantluangi eagerly waiting for their opportunity. Currently ranked 9th in the FIH World Rankings, the Indian team is ready to pull out all stops to challenge their 8th-ranked opponents.
Also read: FIH Pro League: Harmanpreet to lead Indian hockey team
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