Hockey: Solid Sreejesh, a fabulous late goal – How Indian men ended a long wait for win vs Australia
FULL TIME, AUS 3-4 IND: The last time Indian men won outright against Kookaburras was in 2016 (per FIH TMS data). And today the wait ended with a late, late goal by Akashdeep... Hardik and Mandeep with two delicious passes in the build-up. Series alive. Graham Reid said he was pleased with a tighter performance overall, especially in the first half while Colin Batch wasn’t a happy man at the end of an exhibition shootout.
Either way, it sets up a cracking weekend for Games 4 & 5.
Goalscoring progress: Match 3
| Team | Minute | Player | Action | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 12 | Singh Manpreet | Penalty Corner | 0 - 1 |
| Australia | 25 | WELCH Jack | Penalty Corner | 1 - 1 |
| Australia | 32 | ZALEWSKI Aran | Penalty Corner | 2 - 1 |
| India | 47 | ABHISHEK | Penalty Corner | 2 - 2 |
| India | 57 | Singh Shamsher | Penalty Corner | 2 - 3 |
| Australia | 59 | EPHRAUMS Nathan | Penalty Corner | 3 - 3 |
| India | 60 | Singh Akashdeep | Field Goal | 3 - 4 |
“It was a better defensive effort today. We put up a good fight back on a couple of occasions,” said India’s Chief Coach Graham Reid after the match.
“While our PC conversion rate was good, we probably still gave them too many opportunities and relied a little bit too much on our goalkeeper. Having said that, sometimes it is good to graft out a win and I think that’s what the team did today. We fought hard and it was a good character-building game for us ahead of the World Cup in January,”
India matches timings:
India 4-5 Australia, 26th November
India 4-7 Australia, 27th November
India 4-3 Australia, 30th November
India vs Australia, 3rd December from 1100 hrs IST.
India vs Australia, 4th December from 1100 hrs IST.
FULL TIME, AUS 3-4 IND: Australia coach Colin Batch reflects on a very hard game and rues being loose at the end after equalising. But he also had a strong word from what he called a “vicious act” to injure one of his players by Sreejesh during the exhibition shootout.
FULL TIME, AUS 3-4 IND: A little bit of a bitter end to the match. The Australian coach Colin Batch not happy with the injury sustained by one of his players because of an attempted save by Sreejesh. Some strong words at the end.
FULL TIME, AUS 3-4 IND: An exhibition penalty shootout going on at the end of the match as part of practice for the World Cup.
Q4, AUS 3-4 IND: Player of the match, PR Sreejesh.
Q4, AUS 3-4 IND : INDIA WIN! For the first time since 2016, Indian men defeat Australia outright.
Q4, AUS 3-4 IND : What a finish to this match. Seconds ticking down.
Q4, AUS 3-4 IND: GOAL INDIA! Mandeep Singh finds Akashdeep with a selfless pass and he finds the back of the net.
Q4, AUS 3-3 IND: GOAL AUSTRALIA! Good save by Sreejesh again but the rebound is bundled in. Heartbreak for India! Nathan EPHRAUMS with the touch.
Q4, AUS 2-3 IND: Great save by Indian defence... but Australia with another PC! 75 seconds left.
Q4, AUS 2-3 IND: Green card for Jugraj Singh and India will finish the match with 10.
Q4, AUS 2-3 IND: “No says Sreejesh!” What a save by the Indian GK, his foot to the right in time and a splits... the ball is away for a Australia free out.
Q4, AUS 2-3 IND: We are told Australia not happy with the award of that PC. Was a delayed call. Now AUS have a PC of their own. Sreejesh in goal.
Q4, AUS 2-3 IND: GOAL INDIA! Jugraj takes the drag flick... his speed is different to that of Harmanpreet. The shot is saved but Shamsher, the injector, is on hand to finish it.
Q4, AUS 2-2 IND: India want a PC, India get a PC. Just over 4 mins left. Is today the day the wait ends?
Q4, AUS 2-2 IND: Some pressure from Australia here and Whetton thinks he has scored but the whistle had gone before he got the shot away for the 5m rule.
Q4, AUS 2-2 IND: Super play from Abhishek down the right flank, a cross finds its way to Raj Kumar, whose shot at goal is just wide.
Q4, AUS 2-2 IND: Shamsher and Abhishek combine well to win a PC... but India can’t make it 3/3 today. Mistrap and chance goes begging. But India are on the charge here.
Q4, AUS 2-2 IND: GOAL INDIA! ABHISHEK! Harmanpreet with the drag flick and Abhishek gets the stick on to it, to the roof of the net. Unsaveable from that close range.
Q4, AUS 2-1 IND: an early PC for India in Q4. Can they make this count?
End of Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: A goal-less third quarter but a fiesty one, actually. Well contested between both sides. The goals haven’t flowed today but the battle has been even. India will need to be wary now at the start of Q4, and try to ensure Australia don’t run away with it.
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: Another good move from back to front for India... in the resulting free out, there is a green card each for both sides. Abhishek and Collins.
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: CHANCE INDIA! Hardik and Abhishek and combine brilliantly and there was an open goal but the Aussie defence hold strong. Nearly a counter and goal for the hosts... the tomahawk goes long.
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: That’s a good patient move from back to front by India, but Mandeep couldn’t make the most of it at the end down the byline.
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: The match opening up again with India chasing it now and that could mean more openings for the hosts.
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: Half chance for India. Hardik had some space through the middle but his final pass is just behind the Indian forward (might have been Sukhjeet, the sunlight is making it hard to identify players)
Q3, AUS 2-1 IND: GOAL AUSTRALIA! Aran Zalewski with the decisive touch from close range, deflecting the drag flick into the net.
Q3, AUS 1-1 IND: Couple of PCs for Australia early in Q3... Pathak in goal.
Injury update: It looks like the end of the match for Govers today. The third quarter is underway.
PR Sreejesh: ‘Definitely much better first half, we are concentrating on not allowing them to receive the ball in our half and try to be more man-to-man so that we less errors in defence. Sometimes you need to stand alone and do your job [on his saves] but I am getting a lot of help from my defenders, the first goal helped us to play with some comfort. We need to step hard, play hard.’
HALF TIME, AUS 1-1 IND: It’s probably the most cagey, most evenly fought half of the series so far.
Q2, AUS 1-1 IND: Good pressure from India, another good use of the long ball resulting in half a chance.
Q2, AUS 1-1 IND: Game opening up a bit now.
Update from Shahid Judge:
A paraphrased version of what was said on air about Govers: Lower calf injury, they’re not sure if it’s a tendon problem yet or just a strain no pain at the moment, but when he tries to push up the gears to move from a jog to sprint, there’s some discomfort
Q2, AUS 1-1 IND: GOAL AUSTRALIA! Back to back PCs for Australia. SREEJESH SAVES AGAIN! But they come back from the rebound and Welch deflects the ball into the roof of the net. No saving that.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: Looks like Govers’ injury concern has gotten worse now. Didn’t quite catch what the commentator said... but Australia have another PC.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: SREEJESH! That is the Indian legend at his best. Terrific goalkeeping not once not twice but thrice. Surender Kumar too helped out.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: Wickham wins a PC for Australia and Harmanpreet Singh is not happy with that call.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: CHANCE INDIA! Wow, that would have been a brilliant goal for Sukhjeet. Nice 3D skills and gets a shot away and it comes off the inside off the post it seemed. Goalkeeper beaten. Yes, inches away.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: ‘Govers was just tightness, he is fine but Sharp will be on a watching brief for sometime’: Update from commentary
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: Got to think the Indians are focussed on keeping things narrow and tight in defence. And slow the pace down when possible. As I said that, Harmanpreet overturns the ball in defence and AUS nearly punish them.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: Govers gets things going.
Q2, AUS 0-1 IND: The two No 13s (Harmanpreet and Govers) have made it a good contest between themselves so far this series. Alright then, time for Q2. Will be worth keeping an eye on the Aussie players who needed treatment in Q1. Sreejesh in goal for India now.
End of Q1, AUS 0-1 IND: First Lachlan, then the talismanic Govers... a couple of Aussie players needing treatment in the opening quarter. And with India holding decent possession, the siren goes.
Q1, AUS 0-1 IND: GOAL INDIA! And who else but Harmanpreet Singh. A lovely controlled drag flick to the right of the Aussie GK Johan Durst. Not brute power, proper placement there.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Chak De India sounds on the speakers as Hardik plays a lovely long ball towards Mandeep Singh and it results in the match’s first PC.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Seems like both teams are trying to keep their defence crowded. It’s made for a different type of match.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Mandeep does well to control a long ball and tries to find Gurjant who is rushing in, but not able to create anything tangible from that.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Halfway through the quarter, that one big chance for Australia apart, it’s been an even battle.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: CHANCE AUS! Massive goal-mouth scramble with Welch and CO trying to breach the Indian defence but Pathak and the defence hang on.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Lovely move from India through the middle after an interception... right until the final pass though that just evades Sukhjeet.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Lovely pass from Harmanpreet from distance to Mandeep into the circle but the forward can’t turn and get a shot away. Both teams starting to test the other’s defence with patient passing.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: Early days but looks like India will start with a defensive set-up, sitting back and trying to counter perhaps.
Q1, AUS 0-0 IND: And we are off in Adelaide!
LINEUPS: Here’s a look at the active players and starting XI (X marked) for today:
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Indian hockey. The senior men’s team take on Australia in the third match of their five-match Test series against Australia.
The first match on Saturday was a close one with Australia winning 5-4 through Blake Govers’s goal right at the end of the match. The second match India concede that dreaded number of goals... SEVEN. At the Olympics in Tokyo, at the CWG in Birmingham and now in Adelaide, that’s three out of the last four meetings between these two teams that India conceded that number. The match itself was rather close with India in contention for three quarters of the game. But a 4-7 defeat would have hurt the Indian management.
Indian men haven’t defeated Australia outright since 2016. Will today be the day India are able to end their wait for a win against the mighty Kookaburras? Or will the world No 1 make it 3 out of 3?
Hockey, India vs Australia, match 1 as it happened: Govers nets late winner, hat-trick for Akashdeep
Hockey, India vs Australia, match 2 as it happened: Govers hits hat-trick, Harmanpreet & Co lose 4-7
India squad:
Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Amit Rohidas (V/C), Jugraj Singh, Mandeep Mor, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Varun Kumar
Midfielders: Sumit, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Akashdeep Singh, Gurjant Singh
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh
Screenshots in the blog courtesy: FIH Media / Disney+Hotstar