Hockey Champions Trophy, as it happened: India go down fighting 2-3 to Australia

Full-time stats

FULL-TIME! India did well in the final quarter to score a goal and earn penalty corners. But the Aussies were too good under pressure. India had even taken their goalkeeper Sreejesh off in the last five minutes to allow an extra option to attack. They got two Penalty Corners in that period, out of which they converted just one. Australia keep their undefeated streak alive in the Champions Trophy.

Fourth quarter, India 2-3 Australia: Probably the last chance for India with half a minute left. Another PC. Harmanpreet does well again. Good strike. But Hayward does well to keep it out.

GOAL! So, India’s gamble to take Sreejesh off pays off. They earn a Penalty Corner. Sardar Singh injects, Harmanpreet stops and strikes the ball along the ground to the keeper’s left and inside the goal.

Fourth quarter, India 1-3 Australia: Momentum with India in the last couple of minutes. With less than five minutes to go, the men in blue will look to get at least a goal. Even if one goal for them won’t change the result of the match, they can better their goal difference, which might be crucial towards the end of the tournament.

Fourth quarter, India 1-3 Australia: Australia get another penalty corner with less than seven minutes to go. Howard takes the PC, Brand’s position to deflect it to the goal. But Sreejesh quickly drops and blocks the ball with his pads. Yet another good save. But he needs his players to step up.

Fourth quarter, India 1-3 Australia: Halfway through in the final quarter. Australia have been dictating the pace in the quarter, as they have from the beginning of the match. India’s desperate search for a goal continues.

Fourth quarter, India 1-3 Australia: Lalit Kumar gets into the Australian circle, passes to SV Sunil, who takes the ball away and on the run strikes. Good attempt but hits the bar. Australia still down to 10 men because of the yellow in the previous quarter.

End of third quarter, India 1-3 Australia: Australia were down to 10 men with a yellow card being handed to them with less than 5 minutes to go. But they did extremely well to keep the Indians from breaching their defence. They haven’t been able to pass t

Third quarter: India 1-3 Australia (3 minutes to go): India have had the majority of the possession in the last three minutes. They have tried coming forward. But the Australian defence have looked more solid in this quarter. No serious chances for the men in blue so far in this quarter.

Third quarter: India 1-3 Australia (6 minutes to go): Australia have been the dominant side in the third quarter. They have found a vulnerability in the Indian defence (in the middle) and they have relentlessly put pressure on the men in blue. They earn another Penalty corner with less than seven minutes to go. But Sreejesh does well to keep the ball out.

Numbers to know: India have played Australia 15 times in the Champions Trophy and have only two victories.

Third quarter: India 1-3 Australia (9 minutes to go): India are trailing by two goals and have lost their review as well. They need to capitalise on their chances. Especially the penalty corners. Australia are on top at the moment.

Third quarter: India 1-3 Australia (12 minutes to go): GOAL! Tom Craig from the circle passes perfectly to Trent Mitton behind PR Sreejesh. Mitton just has to deflect the ball into the goal. It’s getting more and more difficult for India to come back into the match. The momentum’s with the Aussies.

Oh dear, India are two men down with a yellow and a green card. Not sure what’s going on there. Manpreet and SV Sunil are out of the pitch.

Half-time stats

End of first half, India 1-2 Australia: This has been an exciting match of hockey so far. Both teams have been relentless. But the Indians haven’t witnessed this speed from their previous two opponents. They have done well to deny Australia in their Penalty Corners but they haven’t converted most of their chances as well. They put a lot of pressure towards the end of the first half. But Australia held on to their lead.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (2 minutes to go): Penalty corner with less than three minutes to go for the Aussies. Govers strikes the ball to Sreejesh’s right. The Indian skipper is up to the task. The ball deflects to Beale. But it’s too quick for him to react. The ball is cleared away.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (4 minutes to go): The Indian defence in the middle has been a little vulnerable today. And Australia have capitalised on that. India still try to equalise with less than four minutes to go for the first half.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (6 minutes to go): No success for Australia in the penalty corner. Sreejesh does well to save the attempt. The Indians are counterattacking but the Australian defence has been too good today.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (8 minutes to go): Harmanpreet picks up a green card. India down to 10 men for now. Oh, wait, they get their second penalty corner! This is interesting.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (10 minutes to go): Another penalty corner. Sardar Singh with the injection. But Harmanpreet has hit the post. The Aussie goalie then kicks the ball away from danger. Another PC wasted for India.

Second quarter: India 1-2 Australia (12 minutes to go): Penalty corner for India. SV Sunil injects it. But the Australian defence rushes forward to cut away the angles for Manpreet Singh. They hold on to the lead.

GOAL! Crazy quarter it has been so far. With less than two minutes to go Tom Craig gets the Aussies back on the lead again. Sreejesh deflects a free hit. The ball bounces. There’s a bit of a scramble by the Aussie attack. And, Craig just taps the ball in from the goal mouth.

First quarter: India 1-1 Australia (3 minutes to go): What a quarter it has been. The counterattacking speeds of both teams have been incredible. India capitalised on their penalty corner chance. But Australia have been quicker than Pakistan and Argentina and India found it a little hard to hold them off.

GOAL: India 1-1 Australia Penalty corner for India. They miss it. The ball bobs up off Lakra’s stick. SV Sunil does incredibly well to beat a defender and pass the ball to Varun Kumar, who flicks superbly to score the goal. What a quarter it has been so far.

GOAL! Lachlan Sharp scores in sixth minute as Australia take 1-0 lead against India. Ockenden burst into the Indian circle to steal the ball and pass it to Sharp, who just had to deflect it at the goalmouth.

First quarter: India 0-0 Australia (12 minutes to go): India, in blue, are doing good in the midfield. A couple of aerieal passes early on. India are sitting deep, as they have done in the beginning of the first two games.

The playing XIs:-

India have just two wins in their last 11 games against Australia. Their record against the Aussies in major tournaments are especially poor. But the Indian side in the last two games have looked great. Can they pull off a famous win today?

6:00 pm Welcome to the live coverage of what promises to be an exciting contest between a rejuvenated Indian side and the world No 1 team Australia. With two superb wins in two games, India are second in the standings and look a much-improved side from the one that finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games. And, Australia drew with Belgium 3-3 before beating Pakistan 2-1. But they are always a formidable challenge. The men in blue has suffered a set back with striker Ramandeep Singh being ruled out of the tournament. It will be interesting to see the kind of tactics Harendra Singh will adopt against the Kookaburras.