The last time India’s men’s hockey team faced Australia, it was in Birmingham for the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. India’s performance was not good, as Graham Reid’s team gave up seven goals while scoring just one.
Hockey action between India and Australia has resumed. It won’t only be about winning a medal because this isn’t a one-off game. The World Cup, which is set to take place in India in January, is instead the context of the upcoming five-match series, which is vital.
What time are hockey the games?
- 26th Nov – 11:00 am IST
- 27th Nov – 11:00 am IST
- 30th Nov – 1:30 pm IST
- 3rd Dec – 11:00 am IST
- 4th Dec – 11:00 am IST
The games will take place at MATE Stadium in Adelaide.
Who makes up the Indian hockey team?
Reid has chosen a talented group of players, the majority of whom were part of the side that competed in the most recent round of Pro League games in Bhubaneswar last month against Spain and New Zealand. Amit Rohidas, a fellow defender, will serve as the team’s alternate captain in place of Harmanpreet Singh.
Goalkeeper:
Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders:
Jugraj Singh, Mandeep Mor, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Varun Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Amit Rohidas (Vice-Captain).
Midfielders:
Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Akashdeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Sumit, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal.
Forwards:
Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek.
Has the Pro League undergone any significant changes?
Following absences for Pro League matches, Varun Kumar, Akashdeep Singh, and Gurjant joined the team again. Lalit Upadhyay and Vivek Sagar Prasad haven’t yet fully recovered from their injuries, and young players Selvam Karthi and Rabichandra Singh have been left out.
How has India fared in matches with Australia?
Simply, it’s bad. India has lost all ten of its games against Australia. The single “win” during this time span came in a shootout during the 2020–21 Pro League season, which followed a 2-2 final score during regulation. This increases the significance of the pre-World Cup trip.
What areas does India need to work on?
Only New Zealand has conceded more goals than India, who currently sits atop the Pro League standings.
Expect the defense to face constant pressure when playing the No. 1 team in the globe. India’s defense has allowed 14 goals in only the last two games they have played against Australia. In the most recent five games, the total increases to 25. Reid will be concentrating very hard on this.
Here are more stories related to hockey.