By IANS,
New Delhi : World champions Australia scored a clear-cut 5-2 win over India in a Pool A Commonwealth Games men’s hockey match at the overflowing Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here Thursday.
India had no answer to Australia’s superior fitness and slick team work that was more pronounced in the second half when the reigning Commonwealth champions hammered three of their five goals in a 10-minute spell.
Des Abbott (2nd), Trent Mitton (7th), Eddie Ockenden (48th), Liam de Young (55th) and Glenn Turner (58th) scored for Australia while Dharamvir Singh provided the best moment for India when he struck in the 13th minute before Sandeep Singh converted a penalty corner in the final minute.
The victory, their second in a row, took Australia to six points while India remained on three from their 3-2 win against Malaysia on Tuesday.
Australia showed why they are the world’s top team as they withstood an inspired Indian onslaught in the first-half before hitting back strongly in the second session when the hosts appeared to run out of steam.
The Indians battled gamely, but, in the end, just did not have the power or the pace or stamina to really trouble the Australians, for whom goalkeeper Nathan Burgers had an outstanding game with several timely saves in the first half.
The best part of the game was in the first half that witnessed high quality hockey with India displaying exemplary character to bounce back from a horrendous start.
As early as the second minute, full-back Dhananjay Mahadik was pressured by Mitton and Abbott dispossessed the defender before essaying a reverse shot to the net to give the Aussies a 1-0 lead.
The Aussies could hardly believe their luck when in the seventh minute, Mitton latched on to a diagonal aerial ball, slipped past the Indian defenders from the right to score.
To their credit, the Indians hardly missed a beat despite the twin reverses and proceeded to match the Aussies move for move and in pace much to the delight of the sellout crowd.
India breached the Aussie defence when Dharamvir Singh went racing into the circle on a through ball and slammed a reverse hit past goalkeeper Nathan Burgers to send the sellout crowd into wild celebrations.
Under pressure, the Aussie defence began to show cracks that seemed to widen by the minute. Balls screamed across their goalmouth as the Indians bombarded, but could not put away a couple of chances.
India went on to force five penalty corners, the first three taken by Mahadik in the absence of specialist Sandeep Singh whose subsequent two attempts failed to bear fruit.
Burgers brought off a few good saves to keep his team in front, albeit only just as the teams went into breather with little separating them.
The second-half began much like the first with the Aussies attacking and forcing three penalty corners in quick succession. Off the third, Ockenden deflected Luke Doerner pass to put Aussies 3-1 in front.
The Aussies stepped up the pace and went 4-1 up when de Young deflected Glenn Turner’s pass in the 55th even as the Indian defence appeared to flag. Sure enough, they let in another goal as de Young dived to deflect to boards a pass from the right to complete a good night’s work.
India came up with their last attack that resulted in a penalty corner which Sandeep Singh converted, but by then, the final hooter had been sounded.