India’s WC hopes suffer after 5-1 loss to Australia

Ranked second in the world,the Australians started the match as favourites against the 11th ranked Indians and they played according to their reputation by dominating the share of possession throughout the match. The Indians played catch-up hockey in the entire 70 minutes and did not look convincing at all in all departments of the game. To add to it,India’s perennial problem,a fragile defensive line continued to hurt them badly. India will now play the loser of the last quarterfinal between Netherlands and France in the 5-8 classification matches on Friday.

Women lose 8-1

The Indian women’s hockey team put up yet another disappointing show to crash out of the semifinal race with a 1-8 drubbing at the hands of top-ranked Netherlands in the FIH World League Round 3. The Indian eves started the match on a bright note and dominated the early exchanges before fizzling out against the Dutch girls late last night.

It took the hosts 21 minutes to get off the blocks when the Dutch had numbers in their favour on a trip down field allowing Kim Lammers to convert a chance with a slap shot from close range. Two minutes later from the break,captain Maartje Paumen doubled the Netherlands’ lead by converting a penalty corner with a powerful flick to the upper right corner of the Indian goal.

Even though the Indian eves managed to sneak in a goal,the second half completely belonged to the Dutch girls who pumped in as many as six. Ellen Hoog tripled Netherlands’ lead when she scored a beautiful field goal shooting the ball into the far opposite corner nine minutes into the second half.

India managed to pull one back through Vandana Katariya in the 48th minute,but before they could celebrate Valeria Magis (49th) restored the three-goal advantage for the Netherlands. Thereafter,the Dutch continued to roll with Eva De Goede scoring the hosts’ fifth goal with a variation from a penalty corner.

Sabine Mol (63rd) and Paumen (65th) struck again just two minutes apart in the late stages of the game and De Goede added her second of the game in the last minute of the match from a penalty corner.