Australia emerged victorious with a 3-0 win over the Indian women’s hockey team in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 at Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The goals were scored by Australia’s Captain Grace Stewart (19’), Tatum Stewart (23’), and Kaitlin Nobbs (55’).
Despite India starting the match aggressively and forcing Australia to concede a penalty corner in the second minute, Australia’s goalkeeper Zoe Newman thwarted any immediate threat. Both teams created significant goal-scoring opportunities in the following minutes but struggled to find the finishing touch.
Australia intensified the pressure towards the end of the first quarter, but the Indian defense held firm. In the second quarter, Australia executed a counter-attack led by Kaitlin Nobbs, who set up Grace Stewart for the opening goal. India attempted to generate chances but faced difficulty completing the final pass. Australia, with a quick counter through Amy Lawton, was denied by Bichu Devi Kharibam’s save.
Midway through the second quarter, Australia extended their lead to 2-0 with a penalty corner drag flick by Tatum Stewart. Despite India’s efforts to pull back before the first half concluded, they couldn’t capitalize on two penalty corners, leaving the scoreline at 2-0 in favor of Australia.
In the third quarter, the Hockeyroos opted to sit back and absorb pressure, successfully denying India any opportunity to breach their defense. Despite India’s efforts, they couldn’t find a vulnerability in Australia’s solid defense. In the last minute of the quarter, India had a chance to score from a penalty corner, but Udita’s attempt went wide, and Australia maintained their two-goal lead.
The final quarter saw an increased offensive effort from India. They were awarded a penalty corner early on, but an attempted variation led to another miss by Udita. Despite Mumtaz Khan drawing a foul in the shooting circle, India couldn’t convert the subsequent penalty corner. Australia further extended their lead as Kaitlin Nobbs cleverly rolled the ball through Savita’s legs, making it 3-0 with five minutes remaining.
As the game concluded, Navneet made a late attempt on goal, but the vigilant Australian goalkeeper ensured the score remained 3-0 in favor of Australia. The Indian women’s hockey team will face the United States in their next match on 9th February.
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