India snapped a five-match losing streak in the FIH Pro League this season, but they went down 5-4 in a shootout to Australia, after drawing the game 2-2 in regulation time. India picked up their first points in the Pro League this season, as Australia continued to remain unbeaten this season.
Before the game, Craig Fulton had asked for India to be better in possession, and for his team to manage transitions better when they gave the ball away. His players gave him exactly what he asked for, for three quarters, particularly in defence.In the fourth quarter, India just crumbled against an avalanche of Australian attacks, as Joel Rintala's brace of dragflicks helped Australia come back from 2-0 down, after Amit Rohidas and Jugraj Singh scored for India.
The lead came for India just at the end of the first quarter, when Raj Kumar Pal won India a penalty corner by playing the ball into Australian captain Jeremy Hayward's foot in the circle. Rohidas stepped up with a powerful slap hit that smashed into the bottom right corner, after whistling past goalkeeper Jed Snowden when he had barely moved.
Australia thought they'd equalised just before half-time, when Cam Geddes jinked past CB Poovanna on the left and his cross was deflected in by Jugraj, but India reviewed the decision successfully, as the TV Umpire ruled that Geddes had obstructed Poovanna.
India doubled their lead right at the end of the third quarter, after Mandeep Singh won a penalty corner after being shoved in the back by Tim Howard. Jugraj stepped up and smashed a dragflick low to Snowden's right, as India set their sights on a win.
Australia pulled one back right at the start of the fourth quarter, as Joel Rintala's dragflick gave HS Mohit no chance in the India goal. Rintala then doubled his tally with another dragflick four minutes from time, after a questionable decision from the umpires to award Australia a penalty corner.
In the shootout, there were nine superb conversions on the bounce, before Jed Snowden saved the decisive take from Aditya Lalage to give Australia the bonus point.
You can relive the match, as it happened, in our live blog below: