Goalie Bharat Chetri will lead India for the Australian tour, even as senior players who missed out Asian Champions Trophy making a total comeback.

Hockey India today has announced teams for both men and women categories.

India will tour Australia from 12 October till 05 November 2011 to participate in the Four Nation 9 a Side International Super Series and another International Tournament featuring Pakistan and hosts Australia thereafter.

The Selection Trials for the 22 player team were conducted at SAI Centre, Bangalore on 26 September.

Goalkeeper Bharat Chetri from Karnataka has been appointed the captain for this tour while veteran armyman Ignace Tirkey will be the vice captain. This is the first time that 27 year old Chetri with 114 International caps will lead the country. Tirkey has played 232 Internationals.

Hockey India Selectors BP Govinda, Syed Ali, Thoiba Singh and AB Subbaiah besides Government Observer Dilip Tirkey witnessed the trials where the probables went through their paces in the new 9 a side format of the game.

This format featuring only nine players per side is played on the normal dimension field but with many changes like an additional one metre wider goal. One player must be in the attacking half at all times.

There can be only two defenders besides the goalkeeper to stop penalty corners and there must not be more than four players from the attacking team for taking these penalty corners.The attacking players have to stand outside the 23 metre line before they receive the out push from the backline and the penalty corner must be executed within 25 seconds. However in the case of long corners it is five players versus five. Again the attackers have to be outside the 23 metre area.

If the scores are level after thirty minutes the penalty shootout will be applicable. where the striker is allowed only eight seconds to score starting from the 23 metre line.

The match duration is thirty minutes with two halfs of fifteen minutes each thus making it fast and furious with fitness and athleticism as the key.

The other teams in this Four Nation 9 a Side International Super Series at Perth to be played from 20-23 October are Pakistan, New Zealand and hosts Australia.

India will begin their tour with a match against Australia A on 17 October and will then take on New Zealand the next day before embarking on their maiden 9 a side tournament which has FIH sanction. This is the first time such a format is being played with internationally and the organisers have coincided the event with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Perth.

India will also play an International tournament after the 9 a side Super series against Australia and Pakistan at Busselton and Bunbury in Western Australia.

The team is as under :

Goalkeepers

Bharat Chetri – (Captain)
PR Sreejesh

Defenders

Manjit Kullu
Rupinderpal Singh
VR Raghunath
Sandeep Singh

Midfielders

Ignace Tirkey – (Vice Captain)
Gurbaj Singh
Vikas Sharma
Ignace Tirkey
Manpreet Singh
Vikram Pillay
Arjun Halappa
Sardar Singh

Forwards

Danish Mujtaba
Ravi Pal
Sarvanjit Singh
Rajpal Singh
Yuvraj Valmiki
SV Sunil
Gurvinder Singh Chandi
Tushar Khandker
Bharat Chhikara

Standbys

Nanak Singh (Goalkeeper)
Birendra Lakra (Midfielder)
Mandip Antil (Forward)
Chinglingsana (Forward)
Roshan Minz (Forward)

The following is the Indian Matches Schedule :

17 October India v Australia ‘A’
18 October India v New Zealand

International Super Series 9 a Side Tournament at Perth

20 October India v New Zealand (Two Matches)
21 October India v Pakistan (Two Matches)
22 October India v Australia (Two Matches)
23 October Final & 3/4 Place

International Tournament

26 October India v Australia at Busselton
27 October India v Pakistan at Busselton
31 October India v Australia at Bunbury
01 November India v Pakistan at Bunbury
03 November Final