Pro Hockey League, India vs Australia as it happened: Sreejesh helps the hosts win through shoot-out

And here is the list of the leading goal scorers.

And this is how the points table look after the third round for India.

Shootout, Australia 1 India 3: Jake Harvie goes wide to score but the hooter went before the ball could cross the goalline and India have earned the bonus point.

Shootout, Australia 1 India 3: Lalit Upadhyay scores for India

Shootout, Australia 1 India 2: Sreejesh has been in brilliant form in the shootouts. He thwarts Nathan Ephraums

Shootout, Australia 1 India 2: And Vivek Sagar Prasad puts India ahead after two shots each with a quick goal.

Shootout, Australia 1 India 1: Tim Brand earns a penalty stroke and this time Beale takes it. But he pushes the ball wide.

Shootout, Australia 1 India 1: Harmanpreet Singh scores easily to restore parity.

Shootout, Australia 1 India 0: Daniel Beale was obstructed by Sreejesh and he successfully asks for a video referral. Australia are given a penalty stroke and Matt Dawson scores despite Sreejesh getting his hand to the ball.

FULL TIME, India 2 Australia 2: We are heading towards the shootout and India have failed to beat the Aussies in regulation time in yet another match in last four years. India had beaten Netherlands in the shoot out here and will be confident to earn the bonus point.

46th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Australia go for an indirect attempt and the ball hits Rohidas’s stick before going out. The Aussies ask for a video referral claiming that the ball had risen dangerously but they lose the referral and we are going to a shoot out now.

60th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Australia have got a penalty corner with 11th seconds left on the clock. If the Australians manage to convert their ninth PC of the day they can take full points from this match.

59th minute, India 2 Australia 2: That was a good run by India from the middle. Ramandeep Singh released Neelakantha Singh but his reverse hit crashes directly on the chest of the Australian goalkeeper.

57th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Vivek Sagar Prasad does well to intercept the ball in Australian half but fails to make it count as he cannot get a shot away after entering the circle.

55th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Raj Kumar Pal seems to have got hit on the side of his forehead and has walked out of the pitch.

53rd minute, India 2 Australia 2: India are building good momentum on the counter but the final ball inside the striking circle isn’t been impressive enough to trouble the Australian goalkeeper.

49th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Brand had another chance to score but this time he cannot control the ball clearly and India gets a free hit.

GOAL! 46th minute, India 2 Australia 2: Australia have found their equaliser. The Indians were found napping at the restart as Zalewski gets a clear ball inside the circle and he directs it in the goal. Pathak got a hand to the ball but could not stop it from going inside.

End of third quarter, India 2 Australia 1: India have rode their luck and maintained their one goal advantage. Ramandeep had two good chances to increase the lead for the hosts but he has been guilty of holding on to the ball for too long.

42nd minute, India 2 Australia 1: Ramandeep should have at least hit the ball inside those sticks. Hardik did well to put him through in the striking circle but he goes for a wild swing and wastes the opportunity.

38th minute, India 2 Australia 1: India are now down to 10 men after Manpreet Singh is given a green card

35th minute, India 2 Australia 1: That’s a lovely break from India from the left and Ramandeep dribbles past two defenders to enter the striking circle. But he holds on to the ball too long and the opportunity is wasted.

33rd minute, India 2 Australia 1: And now Australia have a stroke. India protest the call but they do not have a referral left. And Brand misses. His low push hits the outside of the left post. What a relief for India.

31st minute, India 2 Australia 1: Just like the first half, Australia earn a penalty corner in the opening minute. They finally managed to score off the second attempt. But the ball has hit the thigh of Manpreet Singh and the goal is denied for the ball being too high.

Nothing much to choose between the two teams in terms of circle penetration and possession in the first half but it’s the numbers in the goals column that matter. The real question though is can India build on from here.

HALF TIME, India 2 Australia 1: India have come back strong after conceding a goal and taken the lead for the first time against Australia in these two days. Both the goals for India came from the penalty corners while the visitors failed to convert the six penalty corners which came their way.

GOAL! 26th minute, India 2 Australia 1: India get another penalty corner within a minute. This time Harmanpreet attempts a shot first but the ball hits the runner and India get another penalty corner. Harmanpreet does not make a mistake on second attempt. This is the first time India are in the lead.

GOAL! 25th minute, India 1 Australia 1: India earn their first penalty corner and Rupinder equalisers with a dragflick straight in the middle.

24th minute, India 0 Australia 0: Australia are now growing into the game and have earned their sixth penalty corner. They attempt a variation but fail.

GOAL! 23rd minute, India 0 Australia 1: Trent Mitton has finally broken the deadlock and Krishan Pathak will have to take the blame for that goal as he could not close the small gap between him and the goal post quickly enough.

18th minute, India 0 Australia 0: Australia waste another penalty corner

17th minute, India 0 Australia 0: What a miss from Jarmanpreet Singh. Amit Rohidas gave a defence splitting pass from the right and Jarmanpreet was completely unmarked inside the striking circle. But he cannot find the net.

End of quarter, India 0 Australia 0: India played with much more purpose in the first quarter but Australia had the best chances in the first 15 minutes, including four penalty corners. But Sreejesh ensured that the visitors did not go ahead.

12th minute, India 0 Australia 0: Another penalty corner for Australia. Sreejesh does well to stop the run from Zalewski but fails to clear the ball completely and the referee gives a penalty corner for the ball hitting an India players foot. And Sreejesh once again comes up with the save.

10th minute, India 0 Australia 0: A good chance for India as a strong cross comes in from the right but Ramandeep fails to stop the ball well.

8th minute, India 0 Australia 0: Australia gets a second penalty corner. Lachlan Sharp finds the net after a melee inside the circle but Sreejesh successfully challenges for obstruction and the video umpire upholds his appeal.

5th minute, India 0 Australia 0: The penalty corner for Australia in the opening minute notwithstanding, India have shown much more purpose in the first five minutes of the match and have had more circle penetration than their opponents. But they haven’t managed to finding the right opportunities to take a shot at goal.

2nd minute, India 0 Australia 0: Simranjeet got a chance to take a shot on Australian goal after the referee plays advantage but he can only find the side netting with his hit.

1st minute, India 0 Australia 0: If Reid wanted India to make a strong start to this game, they haven’t listened to their coach. It is Australia who make the first move and win a penalty corner. But Sreejesh comes up with a easy save.

India have made four changes to the starting line up from Friday’s match with Sreejesh in goal for the first quarter.

7.05 pm: India coach Graham Reid says the one thing he will want the team to change is to take their chances early and build pressure on Australia. We will know in few minutes if Manpreet Singh and boys can manage that.

7:00 pm: The teams have entered the pitch. Let’s hope we have another great game in store. India need a point to keep pace with the top-three.

6:41 pm: Raj Kumar Pal scored his first and second international goals yesterday. Here’s how the action unfolded in Bhubaneshwar yesterday.

6:40 pm: The clock is ticking towards kick-off. Australia, with their win yesterday, have stretched their winning run against India to 23 in the last 31 times the two teams have faced each other.

Hello and welcome to live updates of FIH Pro League match between India and Australia at Bhubaneswar. India were trailing 1-4 and the clock was ticking down to full-time. Manpreet Singh and Co showed excellent reserves in spirit and came back into the game through Raj Kumar Pal and Rupinder Pal Singh’s goals.

However, Graham Reid’s side looked vulnerable on the counter-attack, where Australia were ruthless in the first quarter and virtually sealed the contest with barely fifteen minutes on the clock. Dylan Wotherspoon in particular, had the Indian backline in sixes and sevens. The Indians will have to keep the Australian forward quiet if they aim to go one better than yesterday.

There was not much to choose from purely from a statistical standpoint. India matched Australia shot for shot but the latter’s finishing was just marginally better than the hosts. Reid’s gamble with a young side paid off with Pal netting his first and second international goals. The second one in particular, was a gem and there was little that the keeper could have done to stop it. While the Indian attack came to the party yesterday, their defence needs to step up. India need a point atleast to keep pace with Belgium, Netherlands and Australia.