The Indian Women’s Hockey Team showed grit and resilience but couldn’t overturn a three-goal deficit as they went down 2–3 to Australia in their opening fixture of the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024–25, held at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre in London.
India started energetically, with early attacking intent and a circle entry in the third minute. But despite some end-to-end exchanges, it was Australia that struck first. In the 16th minute, forward Courtney Schonell broke the deadlock with a stunning goal — a deft scoop over the Indian goalkeeper after finding space in the circle.
The Australians doubled their lead in the 22nd minute through Lexie Pickering, who converted a penalty stroke following a scramble inside the Indian circle. They continued to press high and went into halftime with a solid 2–0 cushion.
The pressure didn’t ease up in the third quarter. In the 34th minute, Australia earned back-to-back penalty corners. A referral led to a penalty stroke, and Tatum Stewart calmly slotted it home, extending the lead to 3–0.
India, however, refused to go quietly. They showed renewed purpose in the second half, and their efforts paid off in the 43rd minute. Deepika converted a well-executed penalty corner, sending a powerful drag flick into the net to put India on the board.
The final quarter saw India dominate patches of play. They earned a series of penalty corners — four in succession — and finally found success in the 52nd minute. Neha was quickest to react to a rebound off the Aussie goalkeeper and slotted it home, making it 3–2 with minutes to go.
India pressed hard for an equaliser, but the Australian defence held its shape under pressure, and a late PC opportunity went begging.
With this result, Australia continue to build momentum in the league, while India, currently seventh on the table, will take heart from their strong second-half display and look to bounce back in their next outing against Argentina on June 17.
