S2H Team

A roller coaster it was but only till halftime. Trailing 2-4 at the interval after shooting to a 2-0 lead two minutes into the match, Australia turned in a performance marked by characteristic aggression but tempered by control. The blend of attributes pulled the rug from under hosts India’s feet enabling the Kookaburras win 6-4 in a men’s match of the FIH Pro League at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

Aussie coach Colin Batch said at halftime that his team’s early lead came too soon. If that was true, India’s recovery came too soon for comfort because, with 30 minutes to go, a stung Kookaburra had an eternity ahead to turn things around.

India head coach Craig Fulton celebrated India’s fourth goal in exuberant style but was guarded at halftime at the prospect of consolidating the advantage. Control was the key word according to the South African. And control it was — except that it were the Aussies in their red shirts celebrating Aboriginal culture who demonstrated exactly that after the change of ends, leaving India chasing the ball for much of the half.

Harmanpreet scored a brace against Australia for a shortlived jubilation for India

The extremity of fortunes and emotions in the cauldron was palpable. Blake Govers struck from a penalty corner in the second minute then doubled the lead seconds later with a blistering angular drive past Pathak to put his team two to the good.

A penalty corner with just three minutes gone put him on the threshold of probably the fastest international hat-trick in history. However, Krishan Pathak starting in goal disappointed the statisticians with a spectacular lunge to his right, giving his teammates a respite and setting India on the course of recovery.

With the first quarter still three minutes from its end, the decibels went through the roof when India captain Harmanpreet Singh fired in a drag-flick that found its way between the right-postman and the post to pull one back for India. Then, after Andrew Charter saved from Abhishek, Vivek Prasad Sagar and Harmanpreet worked their way on the right flank to set up Sukhjeet to make it 2-2 on 18 minutes.

A much-sought penalty corner came India’s way soon later and Harmanpreet stepped up to notch his 174th international goal with a drag flick that took a wicked deflection and nutmegged Charter in the 20th minute to put India ahead and leave the Australians shell shocked.

Mandeep then brought the house down with a thunderbolt after collecting a long slap hit to make it 4-2 a minute from halftime which in hindsight was the last of India’s serious threats in the encounter.
Australia regrouped and showed intent when Jack Welch executed the tomahawk that Pathak padded away and as the encounter progressed, albeit at a lesser intensity than the humdinger of a first half, India seemed to be poorer for ball possession and circle entries.

Surely enough, Australia forced their eighth penalty corner with Govers shaping ominously with the drag flick but it was the injector Aran Zalewski who deflected high into the goal to pull one back at 3-4 on 40 minutes.

At this point, it was tough to bet against the Australians who dominated the quarter. Surely enough, the Kookaburras carried the momentum into the final session and equalized in the 52nd minute with an amazing goal by Lachlan Sharp who deflected home on the run after Govers executed a back-hand cross into the circle. Four-all it was, which meant that either team neutralized a two-goal deficit.

Australia, though, were in no mood to pass the baton to India and three minutes later it was 5-4 when Jacob Anderson finished off a move from the right.

India withdrew Sreejesh for an extra outfield player, a warranted move but fraught with peril when one faced the Aussies and shortly later Welsh spun around to dispatch the spheroid into an empty net and seal three points for his team. 

Australia have nine points from three matches and are second to Netherlands who have 15 from seven. Argentina are third with nine from five while India are fourth with five from three.

A mouth-watering clash between Australia and the Netherlands follows on Friday at 1730 IST followed by India v Ireland at 1930IST.