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The Indian junior men's hockey team will take on the Australian colts in the final of the 2025 Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on Saturday (October 18). Three-time champions India last won the gold medal by defeating Australia in the 2022 final before settling for bronze in 2023 and 2024.
Coached by four-time Olympian PR Sreejesh, the Indians finished second on the league phase points table with three wins, a loss to Australia and a draw against arch rivals Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Australians, under the tutelage of Kookaburras legend Jay Stacy, won three of their matches but were surprisingly held to a draw by Malaysia in the pool phase before also splitting points with Pakistan.
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A brace from captain Rohit helped the Indians edge past Great Britain 3-2 in their Sultan of Johor Cup opener before Sreejesh's boys earned a more comprehensive 4-2 victory against New Zealand.
The Indians will consider themselves a trifle fortunate to have come away with a 3-3 draw against Pakistan. In the pool match against Australia, India dominated the proceedings in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead before halftime. However, the Aussies stormed back in the third quarter with 3 goals in the space of 4 minutes to tilt the scales completely.
The Indian think-tank will no doubt have learnt from the 2-4 loss in the pool game but the final promises to be a more intense affair.
The Indians will have taken note of Ian Grobbelaar's prowess from the top of the circle. Grobbelaar has scored 4 goals thus far in the tournament, as has Oscar Sproule. The Indian drag-flickers will need to find a way to beat captain Dylan Downie, whose daring rush-outs have been one of the strong points of the Australian side.
After having lost three successive gold-medal games in the Sultan of Johor Cup, Jay Stacy will be determined to change the script this time around. But with the likes of Araijeet Singh Hundal, Arshdeep Singh and Sourabh Khushwaha in the ranks, the Indians have the firepower to unsettle the best of defences.
India vs Australia, Sultan of Johor Cup, match details
Match Details: India vs Australia, Final, Sultan of Johor Cup 2025
Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 6:05 PM IST
Venue: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
India vs Australia: Prediction
The penalty corner defence of the Australian side has been the best of all the teams in the competition, giving the Indians no option but to push for goals from open play or try a few deft variations. Prince Deep Singh and Bikramjit Singh in goal will hope that Priyobarta Talem, Rohit, and Anmol Ekka keep the Aussie strikers at bay until the Indians get on the scoresheet. The final promises to be a humdinger if only the Men in Blue do not concede more than a couple in the opening half.
Score Prediction: India 4 - 3 Australia
Where to watch Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 matches in India?
Live streaming of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 is available on Ashley Morrison Media's YouTube channel.
