Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team Win 3-Nations Tournament Despite 1-2 Loss to Australia

The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team were crowned champions of the 3-Nations Tournament in Australia after they held the top spot in the points table despite losing the final game of the competition against the hosts. The Indian team lost 1-2 to hosts Australia in their fourth and final match of the competition. This was India’s first loss in the 3-Nations Tournament. Gagandeep Kaur was the lone scorer for India but it was teenager Abigail Wilson who was the star of the night as she scored a brace to lead the Aussies to victory.

The Indian team was constantly put under pressure by the hosts in the first quarter. However, the visitors did have some chances to take the lead in the first fifteen minutes of the game, but chance of the first quarter fell to the hosts, who managed to make the most of it. The hosts were put ahead by Abigail Wilson as she scored from the penalty corner in the 15th minute. The score in the first quarter read 1-0 in the favour of the Aussies.

India tried to make up ground in the second quarter, however, some superb defending by the home team kept the visitors at bay and denied them the chance to find an equalizer. The Indians had a wonderful chance in the 22nd minute when they managed to get a penalty corner. However, to their dismay they could not force it on target. Four minutes later the visitors had another opportunity to level the scores as they won a penalty corner in the 26th minute. But this time again the Indian eves were denied an equalizer by a diving effort from Australia’s Hannah Astbury. Both the teams went into the half time with the score line reading 1-0 in favour of the hosts.

A similar story unfolded in the third quarter with neither side able to score. Both the teams had their fare chances to score as they got a few penalty corners. However, some brilliant defending by the hosts and the visitors ensured that the result of the game would be decided in final quarter.

The Indian team came out all guns blazing in the final quarter of the game. They managed to put some pressure on the hosts and the efforts paid dividends as the visiting team won a Penalty Corner in the 53rd minute. This time the Indian eves were in no mood to let this opportunity slip so easily as Gagandeep Kaur scored the equalizer to help her team level the scores 1-1. But India’s joy was short-lived as just three minutes later Australia won a penalty corner and Abigail Wilson made no mistake in putting the ball behind Indian custodian to put Australia in the lead once again and seal a 2-1 victory for her team.

Although India suffered a loss in the final match the team was crowned champions as they remained on top of the points table. India finished the tournament with 7 points from four matches similar to that of the hosts but topped the points table on goal difference. New Zealand took the third spot with only three points from their four matches.