All posts tagged: Kookaburras

India squander double goal lead against Australia but in hard-earned 2-2 draw against Kookaburras, first signs of a revival

India squander double goal lead against Australia but in hard-earned 2-2 draw against Kookaburras, first signs of a revival

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5 min readNew DelhiFeb 22, 2026 06:41 PM IST In his pre-match interview ahead of the Pro League match against Australia, India’s head coach Craig Fulton anticipated the question that was going to come at him. What must India do to tackle the mighty, unbeaten Kookaburras? “I’m gonna answer your question already,” he started. “We’ve got to be really physical, be good on the ball, because any cheap turnovers end up hurting you. These are the simple focus points for us.” ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO For three quarters, he’d have enjoyed what he saw. After five straight defeats, and more worryingly, five woeful performances, India had Australia right where they wanted. Amit Rohidas (15′) and Jugraj Singh (43′) had converted from India’s first two Penalty Corner opportunities and India had a 2-0 lead to protect. The potential first win of the season was within touching distance, and at half-time, Fulton remarked it was ‘a bit more like us’. Eventually, Australia’s relentlessness in the fourth quarter paid off as Joel Rintala (47′, 56′) managed to equalise …

India vs Australia: Harmanpreet Singh and Co dished out reality check as relentless Kookaburras produce slick passing masterclass to win Match 1 | Hockey News

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In a mid-match chat with the broadcaster, Flynn Ogilvie, an Olympic silver medallist who debuted against India 10 years ago in Perth, called for his teammates to be ‘quick in passing’. He said it in all seriousness as if Australia had been playing at the pace of a passenger train. And it must have made Indian players, eavesdropping as they walked past him into the dressing room for the half-time break, wonder how much quicker could the Aussies still get. It didn’t take long for them to discover. Australia, by then, were already 2-0 up in the first of the five Test matches in Perth. Minutes into the third quarter, they added two more and made it 4-0. And by the time the full-time hooter sounded, the scoreline read, from India’s perspective, an embarrassing 5-1. New venue, new match, same old Australia. Approximately 100 days before the two teams meet on the biggest stage of all, in the concluding Group B match of the Paris Olympics, India have been served a reality check. HIGHLIGHTS Tempting …

India vs Australia, Hockey Test Series, Match 1 Live Updates: Harmanpreet Singh and Co take on Kookaburras in Perth | Hockey News

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India’s hockey team enters home stretch by taking on its kryptonite, Australia The conversion remains one of the top problem areas but another concern raised its head during the match. As was the case against Spain, their basic skills – trapping and passing – let them down.(Credit: Hockey India) The lessons for Craig Fulton from the Pro League largely centered around set pieces, on both ends. Defending penalty corners and keeping a high conversion rate in the set-piece situations is something that India have identified as an area to improve. Fulton is still in the process of finalising the squad for Paris, but instead of narrowing the list down, he has opted to go with almost the entire core group, with 27 making the cut for the Perth tour. He hasn’t hesitated to experiment with different combinations, but the objective will still be to beat the mighty Australia in Australia. (READ MORE) India vs Australia schedule (all matches in Perth) Match 1: 6 April 2.00 pm IST Match 2: 7 April 2.00 pm IST Match …