The Indian ladies’s hockey staff began off their tour of Australia with defeat, shedding 3-5 towards a scientific Australia A facet on the Perth Hockey Stadium on Saturday. Whereas India scored by Mahima Tete (27’), Navneet Kaur (45’), and Lalremsiami (50’), it was Neasa Flynn (3’), Olivia Downes (9’), Ruby Harris (11’), Tatum Stewart (21’), and Kendra Fitzpatrick (44’) who netted for Australia A in a successful trigger.
The match noticed the Indian ladies’s hockey staff sporting black armbands through the match to mourn the harmless lives misplaced within the tragic Pahalgam assault on April 22. Hokey India said that the ladies’s staff will proceed sporting black armbands for the rest of the Australia tour as a mark of respect and remembrance for the victims and their households.
The match was performed at a frenetic tempo with some end-to-end motion. It was initially Australia A who asserted early management. Fittingly, the hosts broke the impasse by a well-constructed area objective by Neasa Flynn within the third minute itself. By 11 minutes into the sport, the Australia residence facet had been 3-0 up on the scoreboard, with Olivia Downes (9’) and Ruby Harris (11’) scoring in fast succession after capitalising on defensive lapses from the Indians.
Within the second quarter, Australia A had been relentless of their assaults, and made it 4-0 after incomes back-to-back penalty corners, one among which was transformed by Tatum Stewart within the twenty first minute.
India’s valiant comeback
Regardless of the early onslaught, India confirmed resilience, and Mahima Tete (27’) pulled a objective again with a pointy area objective, injecting some vitality into the Indian facet as they headed into half-time trailing 1-4. The second half began with Kendra Fitzpatrick (44’) scoring their closing objective of the day as Australia took a 5-1 lead.
The Indian staff launched a counterattack and their efforts bore fruit when vice-captain Navneet Kaur (45’) discovered the again of the online, narrowing the hole to 2-5. Within the closing quarter, each groups continued to create scoring alternatives. India showcased their preventing spirit as soon as once more when Lalremsiami (50’) slotted residence a high-quality area objective, protecting India’s hopes of a comeback alive. Regardless of some late stress, India couldn’t discover the online once more, and the match concluded with Australia A securing a 5-3 victory.