The Indian men's hockey team would look to leave behind the last match's disappointment and lift its game to the next level to stop the mighty Australians' unbeaten run in an FIH Pro League match in Rourkela on February 24, Saturday. (More Hockey News)
The Indians played some exciting hockey against world No.1 Netherlands in their last match but lost 2-4 in shoot-out after the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
India are currently placed fourth in the standings with 11 points from six matches, while Australia are unbeaten so far, registering six outright wins from as many games.
Besides hoping to end their home campaign on a high, revenge will also be high on India's mind as they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 4-6 to the Kookaburras earlier this month in Bhubaneswar.
But for that, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side will need to perform in unison in all departments of the game. In their last match, the Indians didn't have a very good day from penalty corners with the likes of Harmanpreet, Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohitdas finding it difficult to get past Netherlands' first rusher.
Come Saturday, Harmanpreet and his drag-flick colleagues need to have a perfect day to prevail over Australia.
The Indian defence had a fantastic outing against the Dutch and their man-to-man marking was a treat to watch, denying the opponents any space.
The co-ordination between the midfield and forward-line was near perfect.
The Indians used aerial ball to perfection to switch play from one side to the other. The long balls were also used to create scoring opportunities and the hosts will continue to do so to surprise their opponents in the coming two matches.
The focus would surely be on Indian defence, which needs to be on its toes to deny the Australians inroads.
The Indian forwards, on the other hand, need to capitalise on circle penetrations and convert the chances into goals.
India and Australia play similar styles of hockey and mostly rely on attacking games. Saturday's match promises to be an end-to-end contest. India will round off their home Pro League campaign against Ireland on Sunday.
India vs Australia FIH Pro League Match Live Streaming:
Where to watch India vs Australia FIH Pro League 2023-24 Match?
India vs Australia FIH Pro League 2023-24 match will be telecast live on the Sports18 Khel TV channel in India.
The match will be live-streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website.
When is India vs Australia FIH Pro League 2023-24 Match?
The next clash between India and Australia will take place on February 24, Saturday at 7: 30 Pm IST at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
(With PTI inputs)
