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The Indian men's team is set to take on Australia in a five-match hockey Test series beginning on Saturday, March 6, in Perth. Australia are currently ranked fifth in the FIH men's rankings, one place below India, but these rankings are very deceptive.
In reality, the Kookaburras are among the best teams in the world. They currently sit second in the FIH Pro League standings, with six wins from eight matches. The Netherlands are above them with seven wins, but they have played four more matches.
In the last round of FIH Pro League matches, played in Odisha, India took on the Kookaburras twice. The Australian team won one of those matches 6-4, and took the extra point in the other game by winning the penalty shootout that followed a 2-2 draw.
So, what can be expected this time around? To begin with, a very stern test for the Indian team. After a forgettable World Cup campaign in 2023, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side has recovered greatly. But there are still areas to improve and there can't be a better opportunity than taking on, arguably, the best team in the world currently.
India's new strategy to be tested
Under previous coach Graham Reid, the Indian team played a very aggressive brand of hockey. Reid wanted the Indians to play a high press and put the opposition under pressure.
This strategy worked well and eventually gave India their first Olympic medal since 1980. However, following the Tokyo Olympics, the team lost its way. Their decline culminated in an embarrassing World Cup campaign in Odisha where they failed to reach even the quarterfinal stage.
Now, under Craig Fulton, the team has completely changed its playing style. They are now playing in a more defense-centric manner. The team sits deep in its half and waits for the right opportunity to counter-attack.
The fruits of this recovery have been seen in recent times. The fact that the Indian team held Australia to a 2-2 draw is a testament to that. The last two-and-a-half decades have seen Australia repeatedly rout India as soon as they get an edge over them.
This is because of the inability of the Indian defense to cope with the intense pace of the Australian attacks. Things seem to be changing now, it seems, under Fulton's guidance.
India have a set of very good defenders in Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Amit Rohidas. These three will be severely tested against Australia's highly dynamic attacking unit. The Kookaburras are known for attacking with their entire team and that would require a Herculean effort from the Indians to resist.
Figuring out make-up of the forward line
While the defenders seem to be doing well, there is still some uncertainty about who India's best attackers are. Abhishek has risen in stature in the last couple of years. He may get the support of Akashdeep Singh who managed to score a hat-trick the last time India played a Test series in Australia.
Mandeep Singh and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay need to reassert their quality. Dilpreet Singh was a key member of the Indian team at the last Olympics. He is now looking to re-establish himself in the team. His brilliant dribbling skills could be handy in the days to come.
Three new forwards would be tested in Australia - Mohammed Raheel, Araijeet Singh Hundal, and Boby Singh Dhami. Hundal looked a bit overwhelmed in the last round of matches while Raheel and Dhami seemed promising. All three are likely to be given a good opportunity to show their skills.
These matches will give a good idea of how well-prepared India is ahead of the Olympics. The men's team couldn't have asked for a better series to prepare for the challenge in Paris.
India's tour of Australia - Schedule
First Test - April 6
Second Test - April 7
Third Test - April 10
Fourth Test - April 12
Fifth Test - April 13
All matches will be played in Perth and will begin at 2 PM IST
