K ARUMUGAM
The Indian team’s victory over Australia—achieved without the services of veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh, ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, and star goalkeeper Krishan Pathak—is a massive statement. This performance instills great confidence in fans ahead of the upcoming World Cup and Asian Games. The emergence of such formidable bench strength augurs well for the team in this pivotal year.
Following a home whitewash, India found redemption in Hobart. While they recorded three draws and a loss, a gritty shootout win (1-1, 3-1) against traditional rivals Australia has successfully turned frustration into optimism for the season ahead.
The current FIH Pro League season is widely seen as a litmus test for India’s upcoming twin challenges: the Asian Games and the World Cup. While India enters as the defending Asian Champions, their 51-year drought in reaching a World Cup semifinal remains a heavy burden. Consequently, the Rourkela debacle—where the team lost all four matches despite playing before a capacity home crowd—was viewed by many as an ominous portent. This pessimism was deepened by the resting of stalwarts like Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh for the Hobart leg. Furthermore, the omission of established goalkeeper Krishan Pathak and Dilpreet Singh from the Rourkela leg on controversial disciplinary grounds has only added to the team’s uncertainty.
Goalkeeper Mohit is deservingly the man of the match
The nadir of the campaign came with a staggering 0-8 loss to Argentina—a historic collapse that marks a rare, dark chapter in the nation’s storied legacy on the pitch.
Australia. This skepticism only deepened after a 0-2 defeat in the opening match at Hobart, leaving fans and critics alike fearing the worst.
Thereafter, India showed a semblance of improvement, holding a 2-0 lead against Australia until just five minutes remained. However, the team buckled under Australia’s intense high-press, conceding two quick goals in the closing stages. A dispirited Indian side subsequently lost the shootout, yet they walked away with their first point in five matches—a small but significant step forward.
Once again, late-game lapses saw a dominant position crumble. India was just 93 seconds away from a much-needed victory when Spain struck a devastating blow, equalizing in the dying moments. The momentum shifted instantly; Spain forced a series of four or five penalty corners, which the Indian defense heroically saved. However, the reprieve was short-lived as the shootout ultimately went in Spain’s favor.
Yesterday, the narrative finally shifted. Though Australia struck first to take an early lead, India responded through a magnificent goal from emerging striker Shilanand Lakra. With the scores level at the final hooter, the match headed to a shootout. It was there that Mohit—a standout from the Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur—truly shone, denying three Australian attempts to secure a hard-fought and much-needed victory for India.
The takeaway is clear: with two major tournaments on the horizon, India requires a deep and versatile talent pool. The first phase of the Pro League has amply demonstrated that such depth exists. Now, it is incumbent upon Hockey India to set aside any internal friction and assemble the nation’s finest talent into a unified squad. The upcoming European leg of the Pro League offers a final opportunity to fine-tune the roster before head coach Craig Fulton gears up for the high-stakes challenges ahead.
India will take on Pakistan, The Netherlands, England and Germany twice in the next leg in June.
1 Comment
Have you watched the match fully ? From the first pass to end there were more than 20 wrong passes. No indian is found to receive the ball unable to send the ball they loose the ball to Aussies.. They are unable to keep possession for more than 2 minutes. conceding last 20 second pcs have become a routine.Very pathetic performance by Indians. They lack basics.If our defence was not ok we would have lost bigger.