World No 3 India women’s team held World No.3 Australia 1-1 in the third match of their three-match bilateral series here, coming back from a goal down to hold the hosts to a draw on Sunday.
With this result, Australia sealed the three-match series 2-0, after winning the first two matches 4-2 and 3-2.
In the third match on Sunday, the hosts went into the lead in the 24th minute when Maddison Brooks scored off the field after a barren first quarter in which the Indians had an edge.
The Indians went on searching for the equaliser and in the 41st minute vice-captain and senior defender Deep Grace Ekka converted a penalty corner to make it 1-1.
The two teams were evenly matched in the fourth quarter but the Indians could not capitalise on the hosts being a player down when Hannah Cullum-Sanders was sent to the sin-bin with a green card.
However, the Indians looked a better side on the field as they earned eight penalty corners though they could convert only one of them. Australia earned four penalty corners but could not score from any of them.
The Indians had started well and earned two penalty corners in the first minute itself but could not capitalise on those chances. Australia had their own PC in the 8th minute but that too went begging.
The Indians held an upper hand in the second quarter as they earned three penalty corners but also received two green cards — Nisha and Sharmila Devi — and the Hockeyroos capitalised on the advantage in the 24th minute when Brooks Maddison scored.
However, in the end, that did not prove enough as Deep Grace Ekka pulled India level in the third quarter.
The Indian women’s hockey team will next play two matches against Australia A in Adelaide as part of the tour which they have undertaken as part of its preparation for the upcoming Asian Games in China in September.
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