Profligate Indians continued their poor-finishing streak and lost the Bronze medal to an in control Australia. The World no.1 beat the off-colour hosts 2-1 in the Champions Trophy ’14 Third Place Classification Match at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.

For the winners the goals came from Eddie Ockenden (19th minute) and Matt Gohdes (52nd). For the Indians the goal came from Lalit Upadhayay (42nd).

The match started at a slow pace with both teams going for short-passes and retaining the ball possession.

Australia earned a penalty corner in the 5th minute but a brave Gurjinder charged down towards Australian drag-flicker Chris Ciriello and didn’t let the flick rise.

Australians remained fast in the Indian quarter and came close to scoring in the 8th minute when Jacob Whetton passed the ball to Craig Thomas who carried it instead, at the Indian goalmouth.

A minute later, India got a splendid chance to score but Akashdeep’s powerful reverse flick from the top of the Australian circle got deflected from the cross bars.

In the second quarter, Australian domination in the Indian quarter upped considerably. They were deservingly rewarded in the 19th minute. A composed Jacob Whetton held the ball on the right of Indian post, pulled Sreejesh towards him to set up Eddie Ockenden.

A minute before the half team, the thirteen times Champions Trophy winners earned two successive penalty corners but they failed on both occasions. On the second one, Sreejesh displayed superb presence of mind and blocked the push from the injector after the flick was relayed back to him.

Whereas India relied on sending down quick sweeps into the Australian quarter, Australian rotated the ball amongst them and controlled the pace of the game.

In the 42nd minute, the luck favoured India, eventually. They earned two short corner in succession, and on the second one, in a scramble at the goalmouth, Lalit Upadhayay got his name on the scoreboard.

In the 50th minute, SV Sunil got in an one-on-one tackle with the Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter. He attempted to scoop over the keeper unsuccessfully, and on the rebound, his path to the Australian post was convincingly blocked by a lying-down Charter.

The stunning and the winner goal for the Kookaburras came in the 52nd minute. A tactful Whetton latched on a ball from the right, forcing Sreejesh to come up a few feet. He set up Matt Gohdes at the Indian post and Australians took the decisive lead.

Indian forwards lacked steam and kept mis-directing their shots. They seemed to be buckling under the extreme pressure exerted by the opponents who played the game at a frantic pace.

The Asian Games ’14 Gold medalists got a chance to stage a come-back in the game in the 55th minute. On the short corner, VR Raghunath attempted to deceive by passing it to Gurjinder. In spite of being slow at the flick, Gurjinder relayed it to Akashdeep whose poor finishing continued.

A minute later, Akashdeep intercepted a quick through ball from VR Raghunath but he couldn’t capitalize on it.

India and Australia earned three short corner each in the game, with India succeeding on one occasion.