PERTH, Apr 10:
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s heroics went in vain as India squandered a goal lead to go down 1-2 against Australia in the third men’s hockey Test to hand the home team an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday.
The Indians, who lost 1-5 and 2-4 in the first two Tests, produced a much-better show on Wednesday with the defensive unit leading from the front.
It was a classic battle between the ever-attacking Australians against the Indian defence, which the latter narrowly lost eventually.
India took the lead through Jugraj Singh’s penalty corner conversion in the 41st minute, but Jeremy Hayward (44th and 49th) dashed the visitors’ hopes by scoring a brace to hand Australia their third win on the trot.
India played cohesively and with a lot more intensity to frustrate the Kookaburras, who secured as many as six penalty corners in the opening quarter but failed to get past the resolute defence of the visitors.
Credit must go to both Indian goalkeepers — Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak — for their brilliant display in the first half.
It was the hosts who had the first scoring chance in the form of a penalty corner in the fourth minute but Sreejesh made a lovely low diving save to his right to keep out Hayward’s shot.
Five minutes later, Australia secured three more penalty corners but they failed to get past the ‘The Great Indian Wall’ in Sreejesh.
The Indians moved the ball well and they too earned a penalty corner but skipper Harmanpreet Singh’s effort was saved by the Australian goalie.
Australia earned two more set pieces in the first quarter but the Indian defence stood tall.
Australia changed the tempo of the game in the second quarter and played fast-paced, attacking hockey to put pressure on the Indian defence, which produced a rock solid performance. (PTI)
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