Dominant India U-18 Men hammer Australia 6-3 to level series
Bhopal, May 18
A clinical Indian U18 Men's Hockey Team bounced back in style to register a commanding 6-3 victory over Australia U18 at the Udhav Das Mehta Central SAI Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday.
With this superb win, the hosts have levelled the four-match series 1-1, setting up an exciting finale, according to a press release.
India took early control of the match with a blistering first-half performance. Akash Deep (10') opened the scoring in the first quarter, followed quickly by a strike from Shahrukh Ali (14').
The hosts intensified the pressure in the second quarter, with Ketan Kushwaha (25') and Romit Pal (26') finding the back of the net in quick succession to give India a comfortable cushion.
Kushwaha (40') continued his fine form to score his second of the match in the third quarter before Ansh Bahutra (45') capped off India's scoring fest.
Australia attempted a fightback with goals from Owen Taylor (23'), Oscar Freeman (29') and Jack Weller (32'), but the Indian defence stood firm in the final quarter to deny the visitors any further breakthrough and secure a comprehensive win.
The fourth and final match of the series will be played on Wednesday, May 20, at the same venue.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great win! But we need to tighten defense in the second half—Australia scored 3 goals between 23rd and 32nd minutes. Can't afford lapses like that in the final match. Let's win the series on Wednesday!
So proud of the U-18 boys! This is what happens when we invest in grassroots hockey. Bhopal stadium is buzzing—what an atmosphere! The future of Indian hockey looks bright. Hats off to the coaching staff too! 👏🎉
Impressive performance from the Indian juniors. They showed great character after losing the first match. Australia's fightback in the second half was respectable too—Owen Taylor looks like a promising player. Should be a cracking finale!
Can we talk about Ansh Bahutra's goal in the 45th minute? Absolutely sublime finish! These young lads are playing with so much confidence. Only if our senior team showed this kind of consistency... 😅 Keep it up, boys!
Excellent bounce back! The first quarter blitz was exactly what we needed. But I think the defense needs to communicate better in the middle quarters—three goals in a row is not good. Nevertheless, brilliant effort overall. Hope they go all the way in the last match! 💪🇮🇳
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