FIH Pro League, IND vs AUS as it happened: Harmanpreet and Co claim shootout bonus after 2-2 draw

Thank you for joining us, that’s it for our coverage for tonight.

A strong showing from India in this mini-tournament. They did well to earn the three wins in the first three matches, and then claim the bonus point tonight against Australia.

Vivek Sagar Prasad came up with an early goal in his 100th international cap, but Australia managed to equalize twice through Nathan Ephraums, who scored on either side of Sukhjeet Singh’s wonderfully created goal.

And as always, there was PR Sreejesh standing between the posts to rescue his team in the shootout.

Surely, there were a lot of positives that incoming head coach Craig Fulton to take note of.

Harmanpreet Singh is named player of the match: “Feels very good, this was a team effort, everyone gave 100 percent. Everyone was focused throughout the 60 minutes and the shootout.”

Shootout: Australia 3-4 India - Jack Welch steps up, but Sreejesh makes three saves to win the bonus point for India!

Shootout: Australia 3-4 India - Harmanpreet with a cleverly taken routine. Spins, fakes, and then scores.

India will go first now

Shootout: Australia 3-3 India - Dilpreet scores to take this to sudden death!

Shootout: Australia 3-2 India - Good referral for Sreejesh. No stroke. Now India has to score to stay in the match.

Shootout: Australia 3-2 India - Ephraums tries to fake Sreejesh but the goalkeeper holds his own. There’s a clash and a save is made, but the referee calls for a stroke. Sreejesh immediately calls for a referral.

Nathan Ephraums steps up to win it for Australia

Shootout: Australia 3-2 India - Sukhjeet with a lot of flash in his dribble into the circle, but then excellently slots it into goal.

Shootout: Australia 3-1 India - Jack Welch makes no mistake, moves sharply to his right and slots it past Sreejesh.

Shootout: Australia 2-1 India - Vivek Prasad comes up, but he shoots it wide.

Shootout: Australia 2-1 India - Craig Marais makes no mistake, goes one way, turns and then plays a backhand into goal.

Shootout: Australia 1-1 India - Hardik steps up, goes for a backhand but Durst pulls off the save. Back level now.

Shootout: Australia 1-1 India - Jake Harvie takes his time but gets it past Sreejesh just in time.

Shootout: Australia 0-1 India - Harmanpreet as calm as you like it. Passes it through the legs of Johan Durst to give India the advantage

Shootout: Australia 0-0 India - Australia go first through Jake Whetton, but he takes too long and the buzzer sounds as his shot crashes outside the post.

Shootout imminent

There goes the final hooter. For the first time in this mini-tournament, we’re going to a shootout

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - Last two minutes left of play now. Will this go to a shootout?

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - India get the ball away after a second re-take.

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - Another PC for Australia

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - Sukhjeet shown a green card. India will spend 2 of the last 5 minutes with 10 men on the pitch.

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - Another solid chance for Ephraums, but this time Sreejesh makes a good save.

Q4: India 2-2 Australia - GOAL FOR AUSTRALIA! It’s Nathan Ephraums again. Australia go for a variation as the stopper collects and passes beyond Anand Gupte to Tim Howard who sweeps it towards goal, but Ephraums gets down on time with his dive to deflect past Sreejesh.

Q4: India 2-1 Australia - PC for Australia

Q4: India 2-1 Australia - GOAL FOR INDIA! What a goal that was. Dilpreet first dives forward to deflect towards goal, but Johan Durst makes the save. Sukhjeet collects on the left side of goal, swivels cleverly and plays a cross that catches Eddie Ockenden’s stick and goes into goal. The goal is reviewed, but the goal stands. It goes to Sukhjeet, his 10th international goal.

Fourth quarter starts

That’s the end of the third quarter

Q3: India 1-1 Australia - Good chance for India. Harmanpreet with a nice, long and low pass from deep into Sukhjeet. He controls it well but mishits his shot well-wide.

Q3: India 1-1 Australia - Goal for Australia! Nathan Ephraums earns and scores the penalty stroke. Australia back in this match.

Q3: India 1-0 Australia - Stroke for Australia. Pawan gets off his line but takes out Nathan Ephraums.

Q3: India 1-0 Australia - Anand Gupte takes it again but goes just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-post.

Q3: India 1-0 Australia - Australia wins a third PC

Q3: India 1-0 Australia - Strong defensive work from the Indians, finished off with Pawan pawing the ball over the goal.

Q3: India 1-0 Australia - Early PC for Australia

Second half begins

This is turning into a midfield battle, but there have been plenty of goalscoring opportunities as well. Vivek Sagar Prasad, in his 100th international, scored within two minutes of play. Australia did get close to equalizing in the second quarter, but Nathan Ephraums shot from a tight angle struck the post.

That’s it for the first half

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - Sukhjeet Singh finds himself in a good position, charges into the circle and goes for a shot, but Anand Gupte gets his stick in the way to block the shot.

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - Australia get very close to an equaliser. Nathan Ephraums goes around PR Sreejesh but his shot from a tight angle goes off the post.

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - And now Jugraj Singh gets shown a green card.

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - Lachlan Sharp gets a green card, Australia down to 10 for two minutes.

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - Anand Gupte goes for it but Jarmanpreet Singh gets an inside-edge to clear the danger.

Q2: India 1-0 Australia - PC for Australia

Second quarter begins

That’s it for the first quarter

Q1: India 1-0 Australia - Australia get away with that one. A goalline scramble sees two Indian players mishit their shots into an open goal before Hardik scoops it out.

Q1: India 1-0 Australia - Good referral from Harmanpreet. PC for India

Q1: India 1-0 Australia - India fluff the trap on the third time of asking, and the chance gets wasted. They still scramble the ball in the circle, go for a shot and it’s deemed dangerous play. Harmanpreet though is quick to ask for a referral, saying it’s deflected off an Australian stick.

Q1: India 1-0 Australia - Another PC for India as Abhishek’s shot is kicked high by Australia goalkeeper Johan Durst.

Q1: India 1-0 Australia - GOAL FOR INDIA! On his 100th international cap, Vivek Sagar Prasad scores! And what a goal that was. Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flick was blocked by the first rusher. Prasad collected the rebound, dodged the rusher and then hammered a backhand drive low into the far corner. Not even two minutes on the clock.

Q1: India 0-0 Australia - Early PC for India, barely two minutes on the board.

For the last time this mini-tournament, WE’RE OFF!

Vivek Sagar Prasad, one of the players who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, is playing his 100th international tonight.

Here come the teams for the national anthems.

Dan Strange in commentary announces that there’s been an over-eight-goal average from the last time India and Australia have played each other. Will this match live up to that statistic?

Hello and welcome to Scroll’s live coverage of India’s match against Australia, in the 2022-’23 FIH Men’s Pro League, at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.

Harmanpreet Singh and Co have so far impressed in this mini-tournament featuring hosts India, Australia and World Champions Germany. The Indians have scored 14 goals in three matches, beating Germany 3-2 and 6-3 on either side of the 5-4 win over the Kookaburras.

The defence hasn’t been as sturdy as they would have hoped, but in attack, the hosts have made great inroads against two top-quality teams. And now can the Indians end this mini-event with a perfect, four from four?

Screenshots in the blog courtesy: FIH Media / Fancode

Match live: Star Spors Select 2 and Fancode in India