India 2 (Sangita Kumari - 28’, Sharmila Devi - 39’) - 4 Australia (Aisling Utri - 20’, Maddy Fitzpatrick - 26’, Alice Arnott - 31’, Courtney Schonell 34’)

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Interview: India hockey coach Janneke Schopman on Australia tour, preparing for Asian Games and more

The match is being broadcast on DD Sports and will be streamed on DD Sports’s YouTube channel as well as FanCode

That’s it from us for today. Do join us on Saturday for India’s second match against Australia!

FT, India 2-4 Australia: A lot to learn for India from today’s match. A sluggish performance from Schopman’s team with a lot of stray passes. Hopefully, the sluggishness is just from playing after a four-month break. Like Savita said, they chose to tour Australia to test themselves and they will need to raise their game in the remaining two matches.

Savita Punia speaks after the match: Today we didn’t play our best match and Australia were good. We got some chances and if we could have scored that stroke, it could have been different. We’re going to take it match by match. We’ve come here to prepare for the Asian Games and Australia are a very good fast-attacking side. We’ll need to go back to our room and learn from the game.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: Australia now happy to run down the clock in the Indian corner. And that should be that. Australia win the first Test match 4-2.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: Navneet Kaur misses! Brilliant save from Zoey Newman to deny Navneet. Went the right way and the ball came off her stick back off the post. Newman had the presence of mind to first control the bouncing ball before flicking it away.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: Penalty stroke for India! Lalremsiami does really well to nick the ball off the Australian defender. As she gets ready to shoot, she is fouled from behind and wins a stroke.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: It’s nearly a fifth for the home side but for good goalkeeping from Bichu Devi. Sprawls on the floor to deny Arnott with an Aussie player on the post unable to put the ball into the empty goal.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: The Hockeyroos now with a sustained spell of possession. Oh but India intercept a pass and it’s 3v3. Salima is all but through on goal but is fouled just outside the D. India cannot make anything off the free hit and Australia come away with the ball

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: Much better from India now. Pressing smartly and winning the ball in good areas. Just need to find the perfect pass to unlock the yellow defence.

Q4, India 2-4 Australia: India begin by attacking down the right through Udita and Navjot. They’re unable to pierce the home defence and the Hockeyroos come away with the ball.

Q3, India 2-4 Australia: India look to end the quarter strongly. They win the ball high and Monika finds herself with enough time and space to put in a good ball from the right. Sangita is there to try and put in goal but good defending from Fitzpatrick, I believe, to get the ball away. And that will be the end of the third quarter.

Q3, India 2-4 Australia: Sharmila scores! And just like that, India hit back! They win a PC. Navjot slaps the ball to the goalkeeper’s stick side where Sharmila, who injected the ball, scoops it into the back of the net! Sharmila had tried it in the Q1 PC as well but this time gets it right.

Q3, India 1-4 Australia: This doesn’t look good for India. They haven’t been able to stitch together some good passes and put the hosts under sustained pressure. But for the opening few minutes, the pressing hasn’t been upto the mark.

Q3, India 1-4 Australia: A fourth goal for the Hockeyroos! Brilliant work from Maddy Brooks to dance away from her marker in the circle. She finds Schonell who finds the perfect angle to rocket the ball past Bichu Devi Kharibam in the Indian goal.

Q3, India 1-3 Australia: India nearly hit back! India win the ball on the left and the ball is played across goal but the cross is just out of Vandana’s reach and the chance goes begging.

Q3, India 1-3 Australia: Alice Arnott scores! Another deflected goal and it’s Australia who benefit. Skipper Jane Claxton rifles in a shot from just outside the circle and Arnott gets the tiniest of deflections to put the ball past Savita.

Q3, India 1-2 Australia: Australia get the third quarter underway. India have some work to do to get back in this match.

Halftime, India 1-2 Australia: A good half of hockey for the neutrals. India started strongly and ended strongly in that half. Australia dominated the proceedings and created a couple of decent chances. After that initial burst at the start of Q1, India dropped back allowing the hosts to build their play. It was only after Australia scored the second goal did India got on the charge and pulled a goal back through Sangita.

Q2, India 1-2 Australia: Nearly another goal for Sangita but she tries to shoot after the whistle had gone for a foul and is booked for it.

Q2, India 1-2 Australia: Sangita strikes for India! India hit back straightaway! Nikki Pradhan lets fly from distance. The ball takes a deflection off Fitzpatrick and Sangita is on hand at the post to push it beyond the goalkeeper.

Q2, India 0-2 Australia: Fitzpatrick doubles the lead for Australia! Brilliant drag-flick from Maddy Fitzpatrick who goes for the far post. Savita got some contact on the ball but not enough to prevent it from going into goal.

Q2, India 0-1 Australia: Poor defending from Ishika who fails to trap a long ball. That allows Utri to run in the circle. She puts in a hopeful cross for Cullum-Sanders who cannot get contact on the ball. The ball is retrieved by an Australian player who win a PC for her side.

Q2, India 0-1 Australia: Jyoti picks up a green card for not retreating quickly off an Australian free-hit. Moments later, it’s 10v10 after Olivia Downes is also booked for putting the ball away after making a foul.

Q2, India 0-1 Australia: Goal on debut from Utri! A flowing move from the home side down the right with Courtney Schonell and Abigail Wilson combine well before Wilson puts in a delightful cross across goal for Utri to poke the ball past Savita.

Q2, India 0-0 Australia: Really good move from Australia from the left but Alice Arnott is unable to place her shot on target. Soon after, Hannah Cullum-Sanders unleashes a vicious tomahawk which flashes in front of goal.

Q2, India 0-0 Australia: The home side begins the quarter as they ended the previous one. India doing well to not let the Hockeyroos create any real chances.

End of Q1, India 0-0 Australia: And the siren to mark the end of Q1 finally goes off. India survive a late Aussie onslaught there.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: Another top save from Savita! Australia pull out a quick routine and the ball is zipped to the unmarked Stewart Tatum on the far post. She taps it towards goal. Savita reacts brilliantly to fling herself backwards and scoop the ball off the goalline. Had Tatum used a bit more power, it would have been the opener.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: So this is weird. The time has run down for Q1 on the broadcaster’s clock but the hooter doesn’t go. Australia on the attack and they win a PC. What is it about India-Australia matches and issues with the match clock?

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: Brilliant last-ditch defending from Deep. A defence-splitting pass from deep played to Aisling Utri but Deep comes away with the ball to prevent Utri from being in a 1v1 with Savita.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: Australia not nailing their passes and after a couple of close shaves, Lalremsiami pounces on a loose ball and gets on the counter. Good defence to ensure she cannot cut inside. She waits for support and plays the ball back to Jyoti who cannot keep the ball under control.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: Some good close control from India on the Australian goalline and they win a second PC. This time Sharmila puts in a good ball for Udita to slap towards goal. Sharmila slides in to try and get a deflection but the ball misses it and the Australian post.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: The PC attempt is blocked by the first rusher and the follow up is saved well by Savita. India win a free out and launch a quick attack. Sharmila leads it but is ushered out by the back-tracking defender. India win a PC of their own but Sharmila messes her injection up and the attack breaks down.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: The home side unable to execute their routine. But they still manage to get a shot towards goal which loops up. Savita bats it away. An Indian defender is then ruled to have deliberately put the ball behind and Australia have another PC.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: India have possession but it’s all in their own third. A wall of yellow greets them whenever they try to get in front. Ishika Chaudhary bungles up a long ball and Australia counter and win a PC.

Q1, India 0-0 Australia: India get on the attack from the right and win a free in. Nothing comes off it. The Indian forwards press high and nearly make something off it but unable to get their shot away from the circle.

IND vs AUS: Both the teams are out at the MATE stadium in Adelaide. A decent turnout from the looks of it. The national anthems ring out in the air and we’re ready to go!

Hello and welcome to Scroll’s coverage of Indian hockey as the Savita Punia-led Indian women’s team take on Australia in Adelaide in a Test series.

The Indian women’s team get their preparations for the 2023 Asian Games underway with the first of three matches against the 2022 World Cup bronze medallists. Savita Punia and Co will also play two matches against the Australia A side to wrap up their tour.

Stay tuned for updates.

Indian team:

Goalkeepers: Savita (C), Bichu Devi Kharibam

Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka (VC), Nikki Pradhan, Ishika Chaudhary, Udita, Gurjit Kaur

Midfielders: Nisha, Navjot Kaur, Monika, Salima Tete, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Sonika, Jyoti, Baljeet Kaur

Forwards: Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Sangita Kumari, Sharmila Devi

India tour of Australia schedule (as per Hockey Australia):
May 18, Thursday: India vs Australia at 14:45 IST
May 20, Saturday: India vs Australia at 14:45 IST
May 21, Sunday: India vs Australia at 14:15 IST
May 25, Thursday: India vs Australia A 
May 27, Saturday: India vs Australia A 

Screenshots in the blog via Prasar Bharati / FIH