AGENCY
RIO DE JANEIRO: Indian women’s hockey team dished out a disappointing performance to suffer a 1-6 thrashing at the hands of a rampaging Australia in their third fixture at the Rio Olympics here today.
The Indians, who were playing in the Olympics after a gap of 36 years, were simply outplayed by the higher-ranked Australians who exposed the defensive frailties of their opponents with a comprehensive win in a lop-sided match.
Jodie Kenny struck twice (43rd and 46th minute) while Kathryn Slattery (5th), Georgina Morgan (9th), Jane Claxton (35th), Georgina Parker (36th) scored once each to route the Indians.
For India, Thokchom Anuradha scored the lone goal with just 8.3 seconds left on the clock.
The Australians, who were the 2014 World Cup losing finalists, laid seize of the Indian 25-yard with waves of attacking runs and forced seven penalty corners from which they scored four times.
India, on the other hand, got just one penalty corner which they failed to convert. They could barely string a goal-bound attack in the whole match as they suffered their second consecutive match.
The Indian forwards could not make any opening and Rani Rampal was fielded for very less time. The margin of loss would have been bigger for India had goalkeeper Savita Punia not come up with some fine saves in the match.
With today’s loss, India are at the bottom of Pool B with just one point which they earned from the drawn match against Japan in their opening match. They had lost to Great Britain 0-3 in their previous match.
India have two matches to play in the six-team Pool B — against higher ranked Argentina and United States. Only the top four finishers will advance to the quarterfinals.
Australia took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter of 15 minutes before the Indians denied them any goal in the second quarter. They scored three goals in the third quarter before pumping in another one in the final quarter to win the one-sided match.
The Hockeyroos went into the attacking mode as soon as the match began and with better trapping and faster movement, they surged ahead in the fifth minute itself with Kathryan sounding the board from the first penalty corner they got.
Two minutes later, Preeti Dubey earned the only penalty corner for India in the match. However, her deflected shot from a penalty corner variation went wide.
Australia scored their second goal in the ninth minute with Georgina Morgan sounding the board from the second penalty corner they earned. Indian goalkeeper could have saved that low shot to her right but she failed to do that.
In the 20th minute, Anuradha got a rare chance to shoot at the Australian goal but her effort went over the bar.
Next minute, Australia got a penalty corner but the Indian was up to the task. The Indians put up a better performance in the second quarter and denied them a goal.
The Indian resistance in the second quarter did not last long as Australia scored in the fifth minute of the third quarter with Jane Claxton scoring a field goal. Georgina Parker than scored another field goal barely one minute later to make it 4-0 for Australia.
Jodie Kenny struck her double late into the match, one from a penalty stroke after Indian captain Sushila Chanu was hit on her foot just in front of the goal following a penalty corner.
