Despite being three goals in arrears till third quarter, India bounced back valiantly to score a double to narrow the gap to 3-4 but fell short of a goal to force a fitting draw in the first match against Australia in the FIH Pro-League today at Bhubanewsar. A shoddy first 20 minutes of display led to India’s defeat on its home soils but the last quarter somehow came as a relief against expected rout. Heartening feature of course is the brace that rookie forward Raj Kumar Pal struck, which definitely offers multiple choice for Men’s coach Graham Reid in his forwardline repertoire.

Australia took quick lead when in the sixth minute Aran Zeleswski split the Indian midfield before passing an angled push inside circle. A forward swept towards the circle from the right which Dylan Wootherspoon deflected in with a perfect touch which caught the Indian goalie off guard (1-0). Three minutes into second quarter, the dominating visitors enlarged the lead. Fed by veteran Eddie Ockendon’s peach of a cross, Tom Wickham got the ball between the legs of already out of place Indian goalie PR Sreejesh (2-0). The easy with which the goal struck would have made any team nervous, so also the home side.

However, speedying Lalit Upadhyay earned a penalty corner in the third quarter of which Rupinde Pal struck at goal, but goalie blocked. From close range, Raj Kumar Pal bounced on to the short rebound (1-2). It was a stylish backhand, a difficult proposition to score. Half chance converted.

Thereafter, the Indians were made to sweat a lot, with the visitors dominating the exchanges and field attacks. It was fitting that they struck twice in the space of two minutes in the last phase of the third quarter.

A poor trap inside the circle led to 1-3 scoreline and within a minute PR Sreejesh was found wanting, as ball went below his arm as he was trying to stop a hard push coming from left side of the attacking side.

It left the Indians and well as the stands, high and dry. Lalchan Sharp, who was later declared as the Best Player of the Match, posted a gem of goal in the 41st minute and saw within a minute then on his colleague Jacob Anderson adding another one. With 18 minute left, the crowd would have certainly expected a rout. But thankfully it was not to be.

Indians were better organized and purposeful in their moves in the last quarter. Within seconds from the start, rookie Raj Pal posted his second goal (2-4). A forehand shot from top edge of the circle went past the stretched legs of Australian goalie.

Moments later, Akashdeep Singh got the same kind of ball his younger peer got, but hit the ball narrowly that ended up at side net.

Five minutes later, Rupinder Pal Singh fructified the team’s fifth penalty corner to give the match a semblance of fight. Good ball control and stick work of Hardkik Singh got this penalty corner. Australians thereafter had to sweat more to keep their citadel intact. In the last moments, it was Indian wall PR Sreejesh who stood, actually fell and lying on the turf, between another Australian goal and India.

It was fifth match for India in their first Pro-League season.

India-Aus will square up tomorrow at 19 hours again

Photo: Lalit Upadhyay missing a chance to score early in the match. Photo by s2h photographer Shamim Qureshy