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The Indian men's hockey squad dished retired a overmuch improved amusement but inactive went down to formidable Australia successful the punishment shootout successful their FIH Pro League lucifer successful Hobart connected Sunday (February 22, 2026).
The 2 sides were tied astatine 2-2 aft afloat clip with Amit Rohidas (15th) and Jugraj Singh (43rd) putting India successful beforehand earlier a brace from Joel Rintala (47th, 56th) helped Australia get backmost connected level terms.
In the shootout, though, Australia emerged 5-4 victorious.
This was aft India mislaid 5 matches successful a enactment successful the FIH Pro League this year, including 4 successful the location limb successful Rourkela. They mislaid to Spain 0-2 successful their archetypal match of the Hobart limb connected Saturday (February 21).
Australia had the lion's stock of possession successful the opening exchanges, pushing India backmost successful their ain half. India stayed coagulated astatine the backmost and grew into the crippled to heap immoderate unit backmost connected Australia, forcing Jed Snowden into enactment connected a mates of occasions.
India were rewarded with a punishment country precocious successful the archetypal quarter, and made the astir of it arsenic Rohidas scored from his drag-flick to springiness them a 1-0 lead.
The 2nd 4th produced end-to-end action, with some teams creating chances. Australia had 10 ellipse penetrations and a mates of punishment corners successful the archetypal fractional arsenic they looked for a mode backmost into the game.
India had 9 ellipse penetrations, causing problems for the absorption connected the antagonistic attack. The visitors stood steadfast astatine the back, ensuring they held onto their one-goal vantage astatine fractional time.
Australia continued to predominate possession aft the restart. The Indian antiaircraft enactment remained resolute astatine the backmost though, keeping the hosts astatine bay and preventing them from creating immoderate wide chopped opportunities.
India doubled their pb with Jugraj converting a almighty drag-flick from a punishment country to adjacent retired the 3rd quarter.
The hosts managed to trim the shortage aboriginal successful the 4th quarter, with Rintala scoring from a punishment corner.
With momentum connected their side, Australia earned different punishment country arsenic they remained persistent successful their pursuit for an equaliser.
However, they were denied by Yashdeep Siwach’s important artifact connected the line. With clip moving out, Australia yet recovered the leveller from a set-piece arsenic Rintala netted his 2nd extremity of the nighttime from a punishment country 4 minutes from the last hooter.
Australia were relentless successful the hunt of a winning extremity and had a mates of opportunities to clinch the game.
However, Mohith was exceptional successful goal, pulling disconnected immoderate superb saves — including a sensational treble prevention — to guarantee India enactment successful the game.
With the 2 teams tied astatine 2-2 aft afloat time, the crippled went into a shootout to determine the winner.
It was an aggravated shootout with some teams converting their archetypal 4 penalties, finishing their chances expertly.
However, Aditya Arjun Lalage was denied by Snowden successful the last penalty, giving Australia a hard-fought triumph successful this enthralling match.
India volition adjacent instrumentality connected Spain successful their 3rd crippled of the Hobart limb connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026).
