PERTH: The Indian men's hockey team will aim for a united effort to avoid a hat-trick of defeats when they take on rivals Australia in the third Test of a five-match series here on Wednesday.
The Indians lost the first two games of the series to Australia, 1-5 and 2-4, as both countries prepare for this year's Paris Olympics.
This trip will be very important for India as it will provide chief coach Craig Fulton with valuable input on areas for improvement.
And the Indian defense was under constant pressure due to the quick turnovers of Kingfisher, which had already happened in the first two games.
The Indian defense, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, did not have their best days in the first two games, faltering under pressure and conceding penalty corners and soft field goals.
A lack of forward ideas in opposing territory is another area the Indians need to address.
The likes of Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet will need to capitalize on the opportunities they get to beat a strong team like Australia.
But India's midfield has been decent so far.
Vice-captain Hardik Singh was the mainstay of the midfield and combined well with the strikers to create many chances.
India coach Fulton was expected to try different strategies during the tour and he has already started doing so, which was evident in the last two matches.
From short, crisp passing hockey on the wings to counter-attacks, all of these game plans were on full display from the Indians in these two games.
The Indians also constructed an attack using long aerial lobs from deep positions, but were unable to break through Australia's resolute defense.
Boasting skipper Harmanpreet, world-famous drag-flickers such as Jugraj Singh, Sanjay and Amit Rohidas, India boasts a formidable force at penalty corners, with all three of their goals during the tour coming from set-pieces. .
However, Fulton will likely be looking for more direct attacks from the penalty corner specialist.
The fourth game of the series will be played here on April 12th, followed by the final game on April 13th.
(issued April 9, 2024, 08:00 IST)
