India matched World No.1 team Australia in every aspect of the game, stretched them to level score in the full time of play but in the end lost out in the shoot out 1-3 to finish silver medallists in the 37th edition of the Champions Trophy. Young Vivek Prasad equalled Blake Govers’ lone lead, but in the ensued shoot out Sardar Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Lalit Upadhyay missed out while three Australian shooters got the target.

Aran Zewaleski, Daniel Beale and Jeremy Edwards struck, leaving no use for fifth Indian shooter to take the field.

Like two years ago in London, India again had to contend with Silver in a similar fashion in shoot out. India was today better side than the Aussies. They had everything going for them, though that did not reflect on the scoreboard. For once had better match stat than their gifted rivals (55 to 45 % in ball possession, 10 to 6 in shots, 21 to 16 in circle entries, 4 to 1 in penatly corners). Where they failed was of course in shoot out. Besides, its the Australian goalie Lovell Tyler who stole the show today. It was Tyler who stood between Indian strikers and the goal. Couple of Mandeep Singh shots, one by Dilpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh in the second half had all the bearings of a goal, but each time Tyler came up with matching reflexes to deny them their space in the net.

Blake Govers caught inform goalie PR Sreejesh in a rare moment of lapse in the 25th minute to put Australia ahead. His drag off the first penalty corner of the country blasted past the goalie and a host of defenders to the right corner of the net (1-0).

The match started on a brisk note, Australian doing the attacking in the first five minutes. Indian defence of Harmanpreet Singh and Surender Kumar excelled with immaculate accuracy and alert. Some of the saves that Sreejesh made some acrobatic saves.

First five minutes its all Australia on indian territory with Sharp and Co troubling. As usual Surender Kumar and Pr Sreejesh did everything in their arsenal to keepclean slate.

Dilpreet Singh with left hand touch gets india second PC in 8th min. India attempted Indirect, but too many moves with last push going wide off left post

SV Sunil gets rebound from goalkeeper off Dilreet’s shot from top edge of the circle, but his push from close range was weak, goalie cleared. It was a close chance missed. Meanwhile, Ockenden exhibited good defence, managed to steal ball from two attckers Sunil and Simranjeet Singh in the last moments of first qtr.

Early in the second quarter, Simranjeet Singh fed Sunil who was on top of D. Sunil’s shot at goal diverted by timely application of stick by a defender. in the very next minute, Birendra Lakra showed his attacking skills to earn India its second penalty corner. Harmanpreet dragged but an alert first charger deflected the flight to no danger zone.

Australia got a penalty corner in the 25th minute of which Blake Govers converted. It was Australia’s first in the match, over all 20th.