Canberra, Sep 27 (IANS) The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team endured a tough outing as it went down 0-5 to the Australia U21 side in its second match of the ongoing Australia Tour at the National Hockey Centre, Canberra, on Saturday.
Makayla Jones (10’, 11’, 52’), Sami Love (38’), Migaliya Howell (50’) were the goal scorers for the hosts.
India, who had suffered a narrow 2-3 loss in their opening match yesterday, were eager to bounce back, but Australia showed their attacking intent right from the start. The hosts struck twice in quick succession through Makayla Jones, who scored field goals in the 10th and 11th minutes, putting India on the back foot early in the contest.
The Indian defence regrouped in the second quarter and tightened their lines to deny Australia further opportunities before half-time. Goalkeeper and defenders combined well to withstand sustained pressure, while India also tried to push forward with a few attacking forays, though they were unable to convert their chances in the circle.
In the second half, Australia continued to press high and capitalised on their opportunities. Sami Love (38’) extended the lead with a field goal to make it 3-0. India tried to respond through quick counter-attacks, but failed in their attempts.
The fourth quarter saw Australia seal the contest, with Migaliya Howell (50’) finding the back of the net, before Makayla Jones (52’) completed her hat-trick two minutes later to put the result beyond doubt. Despite India’s determined effort to hold their structure and test themselves against a physically strong opponent, the hosts proved too clinical on the day.
With two defeats in their opening matches, the Indian Junior Women’s Team will now be aiming to regroup quickly and focus on improving execution in the upcoming fixtures. The ongoing tour is an important part of India’s build-up to the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile, this December.
India will next face the Australian U21 side in their third match of the tour on 29th September at the same venue.
–IANS
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