- Indian women's hockey team concludes a month-long senior national training camp
- The squad will contest a five-match series against Australia from April 26 to May 4
- April 26 and 27 matches will be against Australia 'A'
Having concluded a grueling month-long senior national training camp in Bengaluru, the Indian women's hockey team is now set to face Australia in a five-match series between April 26 and May 4. The series will commence with two matches against Australia 'A' on April 26 and 27, to be followed by three matches against senior Australia ranked World No. 5 on May 1, 2, and 4, all at the Perth Hockey Stadium.
India comes into the series with a mixed FIH Hockey Pro League (Women) campaign behind them, where they had two wins and a shootout win in eight matches. They finished the tournament on a high note, beating World No. 1 Netherlands by winning a bonus point through a nail-biting shootout following a 2-2 tie.
The 26-player squad, led by Salima Tete and vice-captained by Navneet Kaur, consists of a mix of senior veterans and young guns. New drag flicker Deepika, who found three goals in the Pro League matches in February, will hope to continue her goal-scoring run. Defender Udita Singh also performed well in her recent games, netting two goals and delivering sound defensive performances at the back.
Veteran goalkeeper Savita, who has just played her 300th international game, is one of the core players of the team. Five players, Jyoti Singh, Sujata Kujur, Ajmina Kujur, Pooja Yadav, and Mahima Tete, have been called in and are set to make their senior team debuts in the series.
Australia has dominated in the past, with 10 victories and 3 draws in their 16 encounters. However, of late, India has shown tremendous improvement, an example of which is India's 1-0 victory over Australia in the 2023–24 FIH Hockey Pro League.
Captain Salima expressed confidence ahead of the series: “We’re excited to play in Perth and believe we’re well-prepared. All the girls have worked extremely hard, and I’m especially eager to see how the young players and debutants perform. This series will help us evaluate our form before the upcoming Pro League matches in Europe.”
Chief Coach Harendra Singh echoed the optimism, saying, “The team has shown great dedication during the camp in Bengaluru. I’m confident that this squad can challenge any opponent. Playing Australia on their home turf is never easy, but we’re ready for the fight.”
