India to Play Australia in the Final of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Australia had thrashed India 1-5 in the league stages of the tournament

File photo of Sardara Singh, captain of the Indian Hockey Team. (Photo: IANS)

India have made it to the finals of the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament where they will face Australians in the summit clash. The men in blue reached the final after winning 6-1 win against Malaysia.

India’s journey to the final has seen many ups and downs with India losing 1-5 to Australia in the league stage. India also narrowly slipped against New Zealand in a 1-2 loss. However, India had commanding victories over Pakistan, Malaysia and Canada, who they thumped 5-1, 6-1 and 3-1 respectively.

On the other hand, Aussies have had a plain sailing in the tournament with the yellow brigade claiming all the 18 points available.

The key trouble for India has been their defence as the blue brigade have conceded at least one goal in every match, including the minnows like Japan. However, Indian coach Roelant Oltmans has said that he was pleased with the energy of the boys.

The finals are always special. I want to test and see what our boys will do. I’m happy that the team played strongly and applied pressure. That is why we were on top of it throughout. Now we need to focus on the final.

<b> Roelant Oltmans, Coach, Indian Hockey Team</b>