Perth: Having endured three consecutive defeats, India will look to turn the tide by trying out new strategies when they clash with hosts Australia again in their fourth match of the five-game series here on Saturday.
The visitors, led by Salima Tete, had lost 3-5 and 2-3 to Australia ‘A’ in the first two matches of the exposure trip before going down 0-2 to Australia at the Perth Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
With one eye on the World Cup next year and the Hockey Pro League in Europe next month, the tour Down Under is the best opportunity for India to streamline their technique and tactics. But, unfortunately, they haven’t met with success so far.
India gave a spirited performance against Australia’s senior team but it wasn’t enough as Australia broke through the visitors’ defence. Courtney Schonell struck in the ninth minute before Grace Stewart added a second goal in the 52nd minute.
“The women’s team is working hard behind the scenes to ensure that the squad is a robust one. While we have not had much success in terms of winning games on the tour of Australia, there have been plenty of positives from the performances already,” said chief coach Harendra Singh in a Hockey India release.
The team is a good mix of experience and youth, and while it has made significant progress from the time it could not qualify for the Paris Olympics, a lot more needs to be done.
In attack and defence, the team has shown a lot of potential as was seen during the home leg of the Pro League where it even beat world No.1 The Netherlands recently.
“The defeats (against Australia) do hurt, especially when we have conceded soft goals. But there is nothing that can replace or match up to the intensity of playing these matches,” said the former India men’s team player.
Harendra added that more game time for youngsters against teams like Australia will certainly translate into success in future.
“The more games and game time the Indian team gets the better it is for the players, especially the younger ones. This tour is of a lot of importance as facing top quality opposition is extremely crucial for the development of the squad,” he said.
