Nearly exactly a twelve months within the past, the Indian females’s hockey crew met Australia in a knockout match and build on a masterclass. This changed into at the Olympics, Gurjit Kaur scored from India’s handiest penalty corner within the match and Savita Punia pulled off as many as nine saves to order the Australians in a historical match. The Indian crew licensed for the semifinals for the first time within the Olympics. It changed into certainly the match of the twelve months.
Now India face Australia all yet again in a knockout match. Both groups are meeting for the first time since their match in Tokyo. Yet again, the stakes are excessive, this time it be a semifinal of the Commonwealth Games 2022. A utilize on Friday will verify a medal and the a hit crew will operate a shot at the gold.
How enjoy India and Australia fared since Tokyo Olympics?
Loads has changed since their final meeting, but loads also did no longer.
India enjoy advanced as a crew within the final one twelve months below Janneke Schopman. They play attacking hockey, receive extra chances and there’s no Rani Rampal to flip the match spherical with her sheer brilliance. This crew debuted within the Pro League after the Olympics and performed third, sooner than Belgium, Spain, England and Germany.
But they also endured a disappointing World Cup appropriate sooner than the Commonwealth Games finishing ninth among 16 groups. They did no longer form it to the quarterfinals, lost to Spain and Novel Zealand and drew towards England and China.
Australia had been the favourites to utilize towards India in Tokyo. They once extra delivery favourites to beat India in Birmingham and progress to the final. No longer like India, Australia did no longer play within the Pro League due to COVID-19 hump restrictions but that did enjoy an affect on their preparations for the World Cup.
This crew, with very tiny match practice, came to the World Cup and received the bronze medal. They conceded appropriate one diagram and scored eight till they met Netherlands within the semifinals the set they narrowly lost 1-0. They had been all yet again down 1-0 towards Germany within the bronze medal playoff but produced a fair correct looking comeback within the final quarter (Steph Kershaw scored twice) to utilize 2-1 and secured the bronze.
How enjoy India carried out at CWG up to now?
The subject with India at the World Cup changed into that they carried out properly, created alternatives to ranking but did no longer convert the extensive majority of chances. Penalty corner conversions changed into a extensive subject, and the arrangement peaceable persists at the CWG.
Grasp into myth these numbers:
India beat Ghana 5-0 within the outlet match, earned 11 penalty corners and remodeled appropriate 1.
India beat Wales 3-1 in their second match, earned 7 penalty corners and remodeled 3.
India lost towards England 1-3 in their third match, earned 8 penalty corners and remodeled appropriate 1.
India beat Canada 3-2 in their final community match, earned 3 penalty corners and scored 2 objectives.
Gurjit Kaur’s dragflicks are peaceable no longer having an affect for India. She had 15 chances from the penalty corners and scored appropriate 2 objectives.
The third diagram changed into a penalty stroke conversion towards Ghana. In actual fact, she did no longer convert any of her penalty corners towards England and Canada – India’s key opponents within the community. The objectives from penalty corners appear to be coming by deflections from Vandana who scored three in equivalent vogue at the CWG 2022.
Additionally, it appears penalty corner defence has turn out to be a subject now. India conceded 6 objectives in 4 fits up to now. Five of those came from penalty corners. The first runners must peaceable’ve performed better by technique of maintaining goalkeeper Savita.
How enjoy Australia carried out at CWG up to now?
Within the intervening time Australia enjoy conceded 0 objectives and scored 16 in in 4 fits, having carried out towards Kenya, South Africa, Novel Zealand and Australia.
They earned 35 penalty corners but remodeled 6. Their toughest opponent within the community stage changed into Novel Zealand and they dominated the match with 31 circle penetrations to Novel Zealand’s 14 but might perchance perhaps perchance perchance put it to use by 1-0 handiest.
They scored by Kaitlin Nobbs’ penalty stroke, which has been pretty the weapon. In Birmingham, Nobbs has scored 5 objectives and 4 of those had been penalty stroke conversions.
Who’re the main avid gamers?
For India, it must be Lalremsiami, albeit with a caveat. She changed into unquestionably spectacular within the must-utilize match towards Canada. She space up the second diagram with her suave movement and scored the winner within the fourth quarter to make certain that India form it to the semifinals.
Nonetheless, she bought injured unhurried within the match as India had been taking a penalty corner. She changed into in low disaster and had to leave the subject. It is some distance yet unknown if she’s going to play the semifinal and this might perchance occasionally perhaps perchance perhaps also be a big blow if she misses the match towards Australia.
For Australia, it is goalkeeper Jocelyn Bartram has been a rock in defence and her performance within the World Cup and the CWG made a extensive distinction to the crew. The crew takes pride in utilize cleansheets and India will favor to work unquestionably onerous to interrupt the defence.
The semi-final shall be 6 August at 12.45 AM IST