India Beats Australia in Olympic Hockey After 52 Years

Playing to its capacity, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist India upstaged silver medalist Australia 3-2 for its third win in five games to finish behind pool leaders and defending champions Belgium in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games here on Friday.

Already assured of a place in the quarterfinals, Australia may not have played its last pool match at the pace for which it is known, but the loss could not deny spirited India which put everything in its game to chisel out its best performance in the tournament so far.

The win added another feather to the cap of skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who like the first three games, masterminded the credible win by accounting for two of three goals scored by his team. Now his tally of goals has gone to six.

Australians had to blame themselves for their second defeat in the pool matches. They missed several good scoring chances. They also allowed their opponents to work out their moves while getting their defence plans repeatedly thwarted.

Veteran Sreejesh was once again outstanding under the bar as he executed some brilliant saves, including two in the first seven minutes. Thomas Craig and Jake Whetton had shied at the Indian goal in the first goal but could not get past Sreejesh. Australia also forced the first penalty corner of the game in the 11^th minute after Ky Willot’s attempt at the goal had been shielded by the Indian defence.

Unperturbed by initial thrusts and moves by Australians, Indians exhibited extraordinary calm as Abhishek scored a gem of a goal from the top of the circle that beat the Australian custodian hands down.

Elated at the early lead, India had not to wait for long to consolidate the score with skipper Harmanpreet Singh finding the target with his powerful flick from the first penalty corner earned by his team.

Seconds later, it was the turn of Australia to raid the Indian citadel but a shot by Tom Wickham was deflected away from danger.

Australia after getting blasted by the defending champions and pool leaders Belgium 2-6 in an earlier pool game had made certain of its top-three finish in the pool with a fluent 5-0 win over New Zealand. With three wins from four games, Australia came to its last game against India with a different frame of mind that looked quite uncharacteristic of a team that runs down its opponents ruthlessly.

After a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, the morale of the Indian team was sky-high. Supported by a strong Indian community in the stands, India played extremely well.

India conceded a goal to a defence lapse in the 25th minute after a feeble penalty corner push that saw the ball travelling to Thomas Craig who stood aside the pole to glid the ball home in what appeared to be a culmination of goalmouth melee.

India did not wait for long to get its third goal. Skipper Harmanpreet’s stinging flick caught an Australian defender on his body on the goal line. After the infringement was referred to the Video Umpire, a penalty stroke came India’s way and Harmanpreet made no mistake with his third stroke conversion of the tournament so far. With this goal, Harmanpreet also took his tally to six.

Indians managed to beat the Australian defence in the 53^rd minute following its fifth penalty corner. The goal was disallowed by the video umpire for an obstruction.

Capitalizing on India’s weakest point – the goalmouth melees – Australia earned a penalty stroke in the 55th minute from which its penalty corner specialist Blake Gowers made no mistake to make the score 2-3.

Australia did withdraw its goalkeeper in the 58^th minute but desperation for equaliser was less than apparent. The 2020 Olympic Silver medallists decided to take the 2-3 verdict in its stride to make the Indian camp jubilant for a historic win that has come after the last win in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Prabhjot Singh

(Reporting Live From Paris Olympics 2024)