The Hindu: Indian hockey team to tour New Zealand in October

The Indian hockey team will tour New Zealand to play a bilateral Test series from October 2 to 11.

They will play two practice matches against New Zealand A at Auckland on October 2 and 3 before taking on the senior Black Sticks side in four Test matches, two each to be played at Nelson (October 6 and 7) and Christchurch (October 9 and 11).

They will then host reigning World Champions Australia in a short series from November 20 to 23 at Raipur, the venue for the elite eight-team Hockey World League (HWL) Final to be played in the Chhattisgarh capital from November 27 to December 6.

“India will tour New Zealand in October and then host Australia in November before the HWL Final in Raipur,” Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Batra said on Monday.

The team will then also take part in the 12th South Asian Games to be held in Guwahati and Shillong from December 10 to 20.