Skipper Harmanpreet Singh guided India to a 5-4 win over Australia in a Hockey Pro League encounter on Sunday

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh’s gait said it all. Supporting a warm smile, he walked with pride after India outplayed Australia 5-4 in a thrilling FIH Hockey Pro League encounter in Rourkela on Sunday (March 12).

India made a good comeback after trailing by a goal to post an exciting win in their second match and move up the Hockey Pro League ladder. After Sunday’s win over Australia, India now have 14 points in their kitty and are second behind Spain, who have 17 points.

The Indian skipper was declared player of the match as he scored three goals in the 5-4 win over Australia.

“It’s good to score and for the team to win,” the Indian skipper said in a post-match interaction. “We decided to commit to our plan for the entire 60 minutes and it paid off.”

Harmanpreet Singh converted two penalty corners in the first quarter to set the ball rolling. Two goals enabled India to gain the upper hand over the Australian 2-1 in the opening 15 minutes. Jugraj Singh's penalty stroke and field goal by Selvam Karthi in the second quarter gave India a comprehensive 4-1 lead.

Australia too had their moments in the match on Sunday. The visitors narrowed their lead as the match progressed and were on the verge of leveling the score.

However, the Indian defenders guarded their citadel and denied the Australian a chance to score as the watch ticked away. For Australia, Joshua Beltz (3rd minute), Ky Willott (43rd minute), Ben Staines (53rd minute) and Aran Zalewski (57th minutes) were the goal scorers.

The Indian skipper looked satisfied with his form in the Hockey Pro League matches. His performance dipped during the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup held in January in Odisha. The Indian team failed to enter the quarterfinals or the knockout stage of the Hockey World Cup and eventually finished ninth.