India 2-3 Australia Hockey Highlights, FIH Pro League 2024-25: Last-Ditch AUS Heroics Push IND To Fifth Straight Heartbreak

Hello and good afternoon to all our readers! Welcome to our live coverage of the first hockey clash between India and Australia. The match takes place in the Belgian city of Antwerp, at the Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein.

The action begins at 2:00 PM IST. Stay tuned for updates.

Fans can watch the match live online on the JioHotstar website and app. Fans can also watch the live telecast of the game on the Star Sports Network channels.

India: Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek, Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Sumit, Raj Kumar Pal, Amit Rohidas, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sanjay, Suraj Karkera

Australia: Tom Craig, Cooper Burns, Jed Snowden, Tim Howard, Craig Marais, Ky Williot, Beltz Hayden, Czinner Nathan, James Collins, Tim Brand, Jeremy Hayward (c)

India: Hardik Singh (c), Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Shamsher Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Yashdeep Siwach

Australia: Anand Gupte, Nathan Ephraums, Ashleigh Thomas, Davis Atkin, Connar Otterbach, Benjamin White

Here바카라�s what India바카라�s head coach Craig Fulton said before the match:

바카라�I think we바카라�re playing well. Last quarter, we바카라�ve had our chances and not taken them, and then they have come back and hurt us. There바카라�s been a lot of controversy, but I바카라�m not gonna get into that. We are playing well, so we바카라�ve just got to go quarter by quarter, and get some goals if we can, and then improve our defending. This is international sports, this is not easy.바카라�

The match between India and Australia is underway! Harmanpreet Singh is out of the XI due to injury, with Hardik wearing the armband. The Aussies, too, have Tom Craig back after a long injury layoff. Can the Men in Blue get their first win today?

IND 0-0 AUS (0')

8' Q1: After a stretched beginning to the game with Australia marginally on top of proceedings, Sukhjeet almost popped up in the box and got a goal for India, but the joy is short-lived. Australia counter quickly, and Tim Brand gets a shot on target, bringing a good save from Karkera.

The first goal comes for India, though, as Abhishek Nain gets a stunning goal. A quickly-taken free hit from Manpreet is rolled into the goal by Abhishek, which catches the Australian keeper unawares, giving the Men in Blue the lead.

IND 1-0 AUS

11' Q1: Fabulous work from James Collins, as the Aussies get a penalty corner. The injection from Tom Craig is accurate, and Hayward바카라�s flick is saved by Karkera, who gets down quickly and keeps it out. A good start from India despite Australia바카라�s pressure.

IND 1-0 AUS

14' Q1: India nearly go 2-0 up, as Abhishek does some brilliant work in the box and crosses it across the face of the goal. Two Indian players 바카라� Shamsher and Lalit 바카라� go sliding in with their sticks, but no one can get a touch on the ball.

IND 1-0 AUS

19' Q2: A brilliant save from Karkera, who keeps the match level for India. Rinatala found himself nine yards out from the goal, but his shot is straight at the keeper, but Karkera still did well to get down and keep it out. The Australian attacker will feel that he should have done better, finding himself unmarked from point-blank range.

IND 1-0 AUS

22' Q2: Abhishek goes down in the D under pressure from Marais, and a PC is given to India. Jugraj바카라�s flick is great, but Brand바카라�s first running is even better. Australia survive the self-inflicted scare.

IND 1-0 AUS

28' Q2: More chances for Australia in this quarter, with Karkera making two good saves, once against Rintala, and then against Burns in the 25th minute. India are trying to gain some more possession in the middle of the park.

India have previously went ahead only to lose the match against the Netherlands, so Craig Fulton will ask his side to get that second goal.

Manpreet had the chance to do just that, as he finds himself in front of goal, but Mandeep바카라�s cross is bouncing and he can바카라�t poke it in past the goalkeeper. A half-decent chance for the Men in Blue.

IND 1-0 AUS

India go to the break ahead, courtesy of Abhishek바카라�s quality. It has been a cagey affair at times, and Australia have had more chances in both quarters, but the better opportunities have fallen to the Kookaburras. Can India hold on to the lead in the second half?

IND 1-0 AUS

The second half starts with India currently one goal ahead. What do the Kookaburras have in store as an answer? They have had 12 circle penetrations in the first half, compared to India바카라�s seven. All that remains is to make those forward forays count.

IND 1-0 AUS

35' Q3: Abhishek gets another goal for India, but most of the hard work is done by Sukhjeet. The #34 held off the challenge from his marker and then squared it for Abhishek, and he makes no mistake with his reverse-handed stroke, going past substitute goalkeeper Thomas! India are well and truly in control of the game now.

IND 2-0 AUS

37' Q3: Vivek gets himself a two-minute time-out as he is shown a green card. Meanwhile, Tim Brand earns a PC for Australia with some smart play, using their man advantage.

IND 2-0 AUS

38' Q3: Two terrific saves from Karkera from Australia바카라�s PC. Australia are turning in the screws as India are still playing with 10 men. The Men in Blue are under pressure at the moment in the face of relentless Kookaburra attacks.

IND 2-0 AUS

42' Q3: Australia get a lifeline as Nathan Ephraums gets a goal for the Kookaburras. A good finish from the substitute. The first shot was from Craig, and Karkera produced another terrific save, but the rebound falls to Ephraums, and he shoots in an empty net.

Craig Fulton is not happy about something, but the referee says that it바카라�s too late for a review, and the goal stays.

IND 2-1 AUS

38' Q4: Tim Brand has another shot, but he is always falling down, and the disbalanced shot goes wide. India counter, and Sukhjeet바카라�s shot hits a foot, and the visitors get a PC. Abhishek injects, and India can바카라�t get a flick away, but India get another PC. The second effort from Sanjay is much better, and it바카라�s an excellent save from the Aussie goalkeeper.

IND 2-1 AUS

39' Q4: What a miss!! Craig is put through with a fantastic lobbed pass, and with just to goalkeeper to beat, he hits it wide of the goal. It was a golden opportunity for the Kookaburras, and everyone in the stadium thought it was going in, but India will thank their stars after surviving that move.

IND 2-1 AUS

55' Q4: Another penalty corner after Sumit clears the ball on the line. Ephraums injects the ball, and it falls to Joel Rintala. A powerful shot from the attacker towards the right side, and it flies past Karkera, giving the goalkeeper absolutely no chance. Heartbreak for India, yet again.

IND 2-2 AUS

Australia make a tactically superb call to seek a review with 43 seconds on the clock. They get their way, and a penalty corner.

Can you believe this? Tom Craig has put the ball in the back of the net via their last-ditch penalty corner to put Australia ahead in the dying seconds. The final hooter rings out and India have gone from 2-0 up to 2-3 down at full time.

The Men In Blue thus suffer their fifth defeat in a row at the FIH Pro League. All five losses have had a single-goal margin, and perhaps the latest one will sting the most, having come despite a two-goal cushion.

With the defeat, India lie seventh in the FIH Pro League standings, possessing 15 points after 13 outings. Australia also have 15 points but are fifth on the basis of a superior goal difference.