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Key Points

The Indian junior women's hockey team started their Australia tour with a narrow defeat. After a scoreless first half, Australia took a two-goal lead from penalty corners. India showed great spirit to fight back and level the match at 2-2 with goals from Lalthantluangi and Sonam. However, a last-minute penalty corner goal by Australia's Sammy Love secured a 3-2 win for the hosts.

Key Points: Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team Loses 3-2 to Australia in Tour Opener

  • India fought back from two goals down to level the match in the final quarter
  • The first half was a tight, goalless affair between the two junior sides
  • Australia scored all three of their goals from penalty corner opportunities
  • The match is the first in a five-game series scheduled in Canberra until October 2
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Indian junior women's hockey team suffer 2-3 defeat in Australia tour opener

A late penalty corner goal by Sammy Love seals a 3-2 win for Australia's U-21 side over the Indian junior women's hockey team in a thrilling Canberra contest.

"With just over a minute left on the clock, Australia's Sammy Love scored through a Penalty Corner to edge out a slim win over India."

Canberra, September 26

The Indian junior women's hockey team suffered a narrow 2-3 loss in their first match of the Australia Tour against their U-21 side at the National Hockey Centre in Canberra on Friday.

Lalthantluangi (47') and Sonam (54') were the goal scorers for India, while Bianca Zurrer (36'), Evie Sransby (45') and Sammy Love (59') scored goals for Australia.

The first half remained goalless as both sides couldn't manage to break the deadlock in the tight contest. In the 36th minute, Australia found the opening goal through a successful Penalty Corner by Bianca Zurrer.

Australia then extended their lead with another Penalty Corner goal, this time courtesy of Evie Sransby in the 45th minute. In the fourth quarter, India bounced back in the contest with two crucial goals to equalise.

First, in the 47th minute, Lalthantluangi converted a Penalty Corner to reduce the deficit, followed by a Field Goal by Sonam in the 54th minute to level the game again. With just over a minute left on the clock, Australia's Sammy Love scored through a Penalty Corner to edge out a slim win over India.

India is touring Australia for a five-match series. The tour, scheduled from September 26 to October 2, will see India play their first three matches against the Australia Junior Women's Team, followed by two games against the local Canberra Chill side.

India and Australia will play five matches at the National Hockey Centre in Canberra on September 26, 27, 29, 30 and October 2.

Indian Junior Women's Hockey squad for Australia Tour 2025:

Goalkeepers: Nidhi, Engil Harsha Rani Minz

Defenders: Manisha, Jyoti Singh (C), Lalthantluangi, Mamita Oram, Sakshi Shukla, Puja Sahoo, Nandni

Midfielders: Priyanka Yadav, Sakshi Rana, Khaidem Shileima Chanu, Rajni Kerketta, Binima Dhan, Ishika, Sunelita Toppo, Anisha Sahu

Forwards: Lalrinpuii, Nisha Minj, Purnima Yadav, Sonam, Kanika Siwach, Sukhveer Kaur.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Penalty corners seem to be our weakness - Australia scored all 3 from PCs while we conceded the winning goal in the last minute. Need better defensive organization during set pieces.
S
Sarah B
Great to see Lalthantluangi and Sonam scoring! The team composition looks balanced with players from different states. Hope they learn from this experience and come back stronger 🇮🇳
A
Arjun K
Playing against strong teams like Australia is exactly what our junior players need. The experience will be invaluable for future tournaments. Better to learn in friendly matches than in major competitions.
M
Michael C
The comeback from 2-0 down shows character! These tours are crucial for development. Hope Hockey India continues to invest in such exposure trips for our young talent.
N
Neha E
So proud of our girls! Losing by one goal against Australia's U-21 team is actually a good performance. The senior women's team success is inspiring the next generation 👏
V
Vikram M
The team needs to work on maintaining concentration till the final whistle. Conceding in the 59th minute shows lack of match awareness. But overall, a promising performance against quality opposition.

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