Australia beat India 6-4 in a pulsating FIH Pro League encounter at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday evening. Australia were 2-0 up within the first two minutes, then India scored four unanswered goals to make it 4-2, but eventually the Australians' attacking threat proved too much for Craig Fulton's side.
Blake Govers opened the scoring off a penalty corner in the opening minute, but Krishan Pathak should have been stronger in his attempt to save that. Just a minute later, Govers doubled Australia's lead with a stunning powerful strike after receiving a long pass into the circle. The big forward could've had a hat-trick within three minutes, as he smashed another dragflick towards goal, but Pathak made a superb save diving to his right.
That save seemed to be a pivotal moment, as it woke India back up to life. They started stringing moves together, and kept finding aerial balls into the Australian defensive third that gave them a lot of joy. It was one of those aerial balls which Sumit brought down and then he was brought down in the circle for a penalty corner, which was converted by a typically powerful dragflick by captain Harmanpreet Singh.
India took charge of the game from then on, and completely owned the second quarter. They drew level through Sukhjeet Singh's clever reverse-flick past Andrew Charter. Then Harmanpreet got slightly lucky with a dragflick, as it deflected off the first rusher and through Charter's feet. The fourth goal was the best of the night, as Harmanpreet unleashed a ferocious ground from the halfway line to Mandeep Singh in the circle. He turned sharply, and then unleashed a high finish which proved too hot for Charter.
After the break though, Australia's wave after wave of attack became an issue for India, who seemed to sit back too early in the hopes of protecting the lead. Aren Zalewski scored the third for them, with a clever deflection off a Govers dragflick. Then they equalized through Lachlan Sharp after brilliant work from Govers down the left flank left him with an empty net to tap in to.
The goal to give Australia the lead came through Jacob Anderson after stunning work from Jake Harvie down the right flank. Harvie's cut-back to Anderson gave him a straightforward finish past PR Sreejesh. India then took Sreejesh off in the final five minutes in the hope of pushing for the equalizer. But that gave Australia the chance to increase their lead. They picked off Amit Rohidas's attempted aerial ball in midfield, and then Jack Welch was in the circle, where he spun past Harmanpreet to finish easily into an empty net.
India will next face Ireland in the Pro League at the Kalinga Stadium on Friday evening.
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