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The Indian men's hockey team suffered a disappointing 5-0 whitewash at the hands of hosts Australia in a recent Test series. The final match of the series, played on April 13, at Perth, saw the visitors losing 3-2.
This series held great importance for India with the Olympics getting ever so closer. Australia currently seem like the best team in the world, so testing themselves against Kookaburras was a great opportunity for the Indian side.
However, failing to draw even one match, leaving aside winning, was a big let-down. Though the team experimented with different players in the five matches, they were not far off from their best set of players. In such a scenario, the whitewash is concerning.
Some fans were keenly following the hockey Tests, and they let their views be known on social media following the drubbing that the Indian side received.
This fan understands that Australia are tough to beat, but is disappointed by the margin of defeat.
Another fan was rather caustic in his response.
One fan was worried about the team's lack of improvement.
Another fan was rather pessimistic about the Indian team's chances in the Paris Olympics.
"Don't think this team will even qualify for semifinal in Paris," he wrote.
The same pessimism is visible in this tweet also.
This fan went a little deeper into the causes of the defeats.
One fan noticed how Australia is the kryptonite of the Indian team.
A meme was used to describe India's struggle against Australia.
More pessimism about India's prospects in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
More disappointment was expressed by this fan.
Indian men's hockey team's upcoming challenges
After the disappointment of a 5-0 loss in Australia, the next challenge for the Indian team would be the FIH Pro League matches in May. These matches will be played in Antwerp and London.
India will face reigning Olympic champions Belgium and former Olympic gold medalists Argentina on their upcoming assignment. The Indian team will also face Germany and Great Britain later.
India's last set of Pro League matches were played on home soil, in Odisha. These matches saw a good effort from India as they were able to earn draws against Australia and the Netherlands.
While beating the Kookaburras may be a bridge too far presently for the Indian team, they would be optimistic about matches against Belgium and Argentina. While the former haven't been as dominant in world hockey as they were around the last Olympics, Argentina have fallen down the ladder too.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics getting ever nearer, every match holds great importance for the Indian side.
