New Delhi: Australia on Sunday showed remarkable resilience in the FIH Hockey Pro League in Hobart, fighting back from a two-goal deficit to hold India to a 2-2 draw before clinching the bonus point with a 5-4 win in the shootout.
India looked sharp from the opening whistle and appeared determined to bounce back after their previous defeat. They edged the first quarter and earned the breakthrough in the 15th minute through a well-worked penalty corner.
Amit Rohidas moved the ball cleverly away from the defensive runners before firing a powerful strike into the left corner, giving India a deserved 1-0 lead. The second quarter turned into a midfield battle, with both sides contesting possession fiercely, but India maintained their narrow advantage going into halftime.
The third quarter brought high-intensity action, much to the delight of the Tasmanian crowd, according to fih.hockey.
India continued to threaten inside the circle and extended their lead in the 43rd minute when Jugraj Singh converted a drag flick with precision, putting Australia under real pressure.
Trailing by two goals, the unbeaten Kookaburras responded with urgency in the final quarter. They dominated territory, launching repeated attacks and earning as many as 13 penalty corners. Joel Rintala emerged as the key figure in the comeback, scoring twice from drag flicks in the 47th and 56th minutes to level the scores at 2-2.
India were forced into a defensive stand in the closing minutes, with goalkeeper Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar and his defenders producing crucial saves to push the contest into a shootout.
In the decisive shootout, Australia kept their composure to seal a 5-4 victory and claim the valuable bonus point, extending their unbeaten run in the competition.
Despite finishing on the losing side, Jugraj Singh was named Player of the Match.
