Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the men’s hockey final between India and Australia. This is Nihit Sachdeva taking you through the action as it unfolds at the University of Birmingham Hockey and Squash centre.
| INDIA | 0 |
| AUSTRALIA | 7 |
Full-time summary: Australian men’s hockey team defends its gold medal with absolute perfection. It is a seventh gold medal for the men in yellow and they have done it in style by beating India 7-0. The Indian defense was teared apart while the offense looked non-existent. There were zero penalty corners for the men in blue and that is enough to show how far they were from causing any harm to the Australian goal. Indian men’s hockey team finishes the campaign with silver for the third time at Commonwealth Games.
FOURTH QUARTER
60’ Here comes the final hooter!!!! Australia thrashes India 7-0 to clinch its seventh gold medal in men’s hockey at Commonwealth Games!!!
60’ Surender loses the ball near the Australian striking circle.
59’ A rare attack from India. Can they find a consolation goal?
58’ Indians look to build something from their own half but eventually lose the ball to Govers who takes it forward.
57’ Sreejesh makes another save as Ogilvie looks for an eighth goal. The Indian goalkeeper is furious with the way his defenders have played today and is literally screaming out instructions.
56’ Surender to Gurjant to Mandeep inside the circle on the right but the Indian forward is unable to get ahead of the Australian defense.
55’ Hardik covers well in defense as Australia looked for yet another opportunity to find a shot at goal.
54’ Australia makes it 8-0 as Wickham gets his second goal. Wrong pass in midfield from Lalit Upadhyay, Ogilvie intercepts it and puts it through to the Australian forward inside the D who finds Sreejesh’s far post. However, India uses the referral and the goal has been disallowed due to Wickham hitting the shot with the back of his stick.
53’ Australia on the charge. Beltz on the right puts Govers through who gets the ball inside the D but this time fails to make something out of it.
52’ Gurjant with a splendid run down the right hand side gets the ball inside the striking circle. Australian defense stays solid as ever.
51’ A change in goalkeeping position for Australia. Charter goes off and Durst comes in.
50’ Free hit taken quickly by Australian on the right flank near the striking circle. Govers takes the shot but an outstretched Sreejesh makes the save.
48’ Circle penetration from India but nothing comes out of it as the Australian defense continues to stay disciplined.
47’ Great move from the Indians. Nilakanta puts in a beautiful ball towards the far post on the right but Akashdeep fails to anticipate and does not make the run.
46’ GOALLL!!!!! Flynne Ogilvie makes it seventh heaven for Australia. Counter-attack from the right. Ephraums puts the ball inside the striking circle for Brand who finds Ogilvie at the far post for the tap-in.
46’ Final 15 minutes begin. Mere formality, perhaps?
THIRD QUARTER
45’ Jarmanpreet receives the ball near the striking circle, puts it in looking for an Australian foot. Instead, the men in yellow launch another counter-attack, this time on the left flank, cross put in and Govers on the far past fails to make contact with the ball.
44’ Indians look to keep possession. Australia does not mind.
43’ Double save from Sreejesh. Daniel Beale looked to join the party but the Indian goalkeeper denied him.
42’ GOALLLLL!!!! Australia leads 6-0. Ogilvie puts in the ball from quite some distance away from the striking circle and Ephraums puts in the dive to put it past Sreejesh.
42’ Akashdeep gets the ball inside the D but fails to control it.
41’ Umpire observes the tussle between Jugraj and Ephraums and warns them.
40’ Free hit for Australia inside its own half.
39’ One umpire initially awards PC to Australia but the other quickly makes amends as the ball had lifted too dangerously off an Australian stick inside the D.
38’ Gurjant gets the ball inside the ball, it is lifted a bit too high and Australia gets the free hit. However, the men in yellow fumble and Mandeep gets a great opportunity to go for the goal. Instead, he provides a back pass to Abhishek who is unable to take the shot. Australian defender clears it.
37’ Hardik wins a free hit close to the striking circle.
36’ Good interception by Gurjant. However, Akashdeep puts in a tame pass on the left flank and Australians win the ball back in no time.
35’ Green card for Brand for obstruction. However, Manpreet too has walked off the field and I’m not sure he’ll be back on the pitch again in this match.
34’ Australia moves the ball forward with ease.
33’ Another exquisite pass from the Australians to put the ball past the Indian defense into the D but this time, the man in yellow inside the D does not control the ball. Danger cleared for now for India.
32’ Free hit for India inside the Australian half. Varun provides the aerial pass to Mandeep on the edge of the D but he fails to trap it clearly and losses possession.
31’ Indians take the pushback. Harmanpreet goes for a long aerial pass from the right flank into the D but it misses everyone and goes out of play.
Half-time summary: Australia is well and truly in the driver’s seat in this final. India has had just two shots on target as compared to Australia’s 14. The men in yellow have dominated in every aspect of the game and it will take a miracle for India to come back from here.
SECOND QUARTER
30’ First half ends. Australia has one hand on a record-extending seventh gold medal as it leads 5-0.
30’ Final minute of the first half. Another collision. Green card for Ephraums for a foul on the Indian defender inside the striking circle.
28’ Indians totally slept on that occasion and now stare at another humiliating defeat. Nilakanta is back on the pitch.
27’ GOALLLL!!!!! Indian defense has been shredded to bits. Sreejesh makes the save but on the rebound, Anderson puts the ball past him. Australia leads 5-0.
27’ Play has been stopped as Australians complain about Indian having all 11 men on the pitch despite Nilakanta’s suspension as Manpreet is back on the pitch. The umpires clear the situation saying Manpreet is allowed to come back and India is still playing with 10 players only.
26’ GOALLLLL!!!!! Australia leads 4-0. Brilliant field goal from the men in yellow. Timothy Brand puts the ball through for an unmarked Wickham who deflects it past Sreejesh. More misery for India as Nilakanta gets a green card and a two-minute suspension.
25’ Nasty collision between Indian captain Manpreet and Australian midfielder Zalewski on the edge of the Indian D. Manpreet looks in pain and walks off the field.
24’ SAVE!!!! Akashdeep does a great job to put the ball forward and find Amit Rohidas on the right flank. Rohidas gets the ball inside the striking circle, gives it back to Akashdeep on the far post who goes with the reverse stick but Charter, the Australian goalie makes a fantastic save.
22’ GOAL!!!!!! Australia makes it 3-0. Hayward with the retake of the PC, Sreejesh blocks the shot, Ephraums latches onto the rebound, gets it past Sreejesh and Anderson finishes the easiest of the tap-ins.
22’ Penalty Corner for Australia. Long aerial pass for Harvie on the right flank who gets the ball inside the striking circle and finds Gurjant’s foot. Govers takes the drag flick, Sreejesh saves but following the rebound, Australia earns another PC.
21’ End of a brief spell of possession inside the Australian half for Indians. Australia on the charge again.
20’ Much better from India as it continues to press Australia.
19’ Great steal from Jarmanpreet near the centerline. India moves the ball forward.
18’ Sturdy defending from Australia and Abhishek keeps on waiting for the ball on the edge of the Australian D but the ball does not arrive.
17’ Lalit steals the ball from the opponent inside the Indian half and releases Abhishek but the Indian forward gets stopped in his tracks before he can even reach the Australian D.
17’ Another circle penetration from Australia. Wickham takes the shot at the near post but Sreejesh saves it.
16’ Second quarter begins. India needs to be more solid in defense before even thinking about the offense.
FIRST QUARTER
15’ End of first quarter. Australia has absolutely bossed the first 15 minutes.
14’ GOALLLLLLL!!!!!!! An unbelievable counter-attack from deep inside its own half and Australia doubles its lead. Ogilvie takes the ball inside the D, puts it through Sreejesh’s legs and Ephraums provides the finishing touch. Australia leads 2-0.
14’ Surender receives the ball on the right flank and does manage to get inside the tracking circle, takes a shot but nothing comes out of it.
12’ Free hit taken quickly by Manpreet. However, the Australian defender on the edge of the D blocks his pass easily.
11’ Indians look to construct something from the back.
10’ Akashdeep puts in the ball from the left, hoping to find a team mate at the far post but the ball just goes out of play.
9’ GOALLLLLL!!!!! Australia leads 1-0. Third PC for Australia as Wickham puts the ball onto Jarmanpreet’s foot on the left. Govers takes the drag flick and hits it towards the middle. The ball gets through Sreejesh’s legs into the back of the net.
9’ Blake Govers fires the drag flick low down to Sreejesh’s right but the Indian goalkeeper manages to get his stick on the ball.
8’ Another PC for Australia. Ephraums finds Varun’s foot on the right inside the D.
7’ Tentative start from India. Not much to show in the attacking half.
6’ Mandeep takes the ball inside the Australian D from the right, looks for options before putting the pass in. However, he only manages to find an Australian defender who clears it away.
5’ Australia gets the ball inside the Indian D yet again. Ogilvie looks to go for the goal from the edge of the D but Surender puts his stick in front and blocks.
4’ Penalty corner for Australia as the ball hits Varun’s foot on the edge of the circle. Jeremy Hayward takes the drag flick but Amit Rohidas blocks the effort.
3’ Tom Wickham looks to put in the cross from the right but his effort gets blocked by the Indian defender on the edge of the circle.
2’ Australia puts the ball in the back of the net to take a 1-0 but umpire disallows it due to infringement. The ball had hit the foot of the Australian defender Beale.
1’ Australia takes the pushback.
Game time!!!
4:55 PM: The players begin stepping onto the pitch. First up, the Indian team in blue followed by the Australians in yellow.
4:50 PM: Ten minutes to go before live action begins. Will there be a new Commonwealth Games champion in men’s hockey or will Australia add one more gold to its collection?
4:40 PM: ICYMI, here’s one final look at the squads of the two finalists. Indian midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad will not be available to play the final as he picked up a minor knee injury and has been advised rest.
Indian men’s hockey squad
Chief coach: Graham Reid
Australian men’s hockey squad
Chief coach: Colin Batch
4:35 PM: Top scorers for the two teams:
India - Harmanpreet Singh - 9 goals
Australia - Blake Govers - 6 goals, Jeremy Hayward - 6 goals
4:30 PM: Just half an hour to go for this blockbuster clash. England has won the bronze medal by beating South Africa 6-3. Who will take the gold?
4:25 PM: Here are some statistics to compare how two teams have performed so far in Birmingham
Circle Penetrations - IND - 181, AUS - 154
Penalty Corners earned - IND - 43 (14 converted into goals), AUS - 36 (16 converted into goals)
Goals scored - IND - 30, AUS - 32
Goals conceded - IND - 7, AUS - 4
4:15 PM: India vs Australia Head-to-head (Commonwealth Games specific)
India and Australia have faced each other three times in Commonwealth Games and the Kookaburras have won all of them. Outside the Commonwealth Games, India’s latest meeting with Australia was in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where Australia thrashed India 7-1.
Previous meetings at Commonwealth Games
| YEAR | CITY | STAGE | RESULT |
| 1998 | KUALA LUMPUR | GROUP STAGE | AUSTRALIA WON 5-2 |
| 2010 | NEW DELHI | FINAL | AUSTRALIA WON 8-0 |
| 2014 | GLASGOW | FINAL | AUSTRALIA WON 4-0 |
4:05 PM:Road to final
| INDIA | AUSTRALIA | |
| GROUP STAGE MATCH 1 | BEAT GHANA 11-0 | BEAT SCOTLAND 12-0 |
| GROUP STAGE MATCH 2 | 4-4 DRAW AGAINST ENGLAND | BEAT NEW ZEALAND 7-2 |
| GROUP STAGE MATCH 3 | BEAT CANADA 8-0 | BEAT SOUTH AFRICA 3-0 |
| GROUP STAGE MATCH 4 | BEAT WALES 4-1 | BEAT PAKISTAN 7-0 |
| SEMIFINAL | BEAT SOUTH AFRICA 3-2 | BEAT ENGLAND 3-2 |
3:55 PM: Men’s hockey final of the Commonwealth Games. India has reached this stage for the third time. The previous two ended in humiliating defeats at the hands of Australia. Today, the opponent is once again the mighty Australian side, which has grabbed all six gold medals. Will Manpreet Singh’s men be able to put the scars of the past behind them and script history? Live action begins at 5 PM IST. Stay tuned for all the pre-match build-up.
PREVIEW
History beckons the Indian men’s hockey team as it looks to end Australia’s dominance in the Commonwealth Games by securing a maiden gold in the quadrennial showpiece in Birmingham.
India has never won a gold in the six editions of CWG. Two silver medals in 2010 and 2014 editions is the best it could achieve since hockey was introduced in the Games in 1998.
HIGHLIGHTS: India beats South Africa 3-2 to reach final
In contrast, world No.1 Australia has by far been the most dominant team in CWG, winning all six golds till date.
So, finishing on top of the podium by getting past the mighty Kookaburras would definitely be a tall task for India and it will have to play out of its skin to achieve the elusive feat.
But the historic bronze in Tokyo Olympics after a hiatus of 41 years has instilled a high level of self belief among the Indian players.
Already assured of a silver, a gold from here will be icing on the cake for the Indians and the Manpreet Singh-led side won’t like to miss such an opportunity.
But to achieve that, the Indians will have to improve on all counts as the Australians won’t miss out to pounce on any lapse from their opponents.
Indian men’s hockey squad
Chief coach: Graham Reid
Australian men’s hockey squad
Chief coach: Colin Batch
Both India and Australia recorded identical 3-2 wins over South Africa and host England to reach the final.
India’s backline led by ever-reliable custodia PR Sreejesh will have to be on its toes and can ill-afford to commit silly mistakes as the Australians are expected to put relentless pressure.
India’s midfield under captain Manpreet has been in fine form with Hardik Singh and Nilkanta Sharma showing sparks.
But it is the forwardline which has been the most impressive. Mandeep Singh has been phenomenal up front with his great runs and dribbling skills inside the D, while Akashdeep Singh too has shone bright.
The likes of Shamsher Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh and Abhishek too have looked threatening in the tournament so far.
One area which chief coach Graham Reid would be worried about is penalty corner execution as India converted just one out of the seven against South Africa despite having quality dragflickers such as Harmanpreet, Varun Kumar, Jugraj Singh and Rohidas up their ranks.
In fact, the reason behind India’s poor PC conversion rate on Saturday was South Africa goalkeeper Gowan Jones, who pulled off fantastic saves on multiple occasions to deny Harmanpreet and Co.
In the bronze medal play-off, host England will play South Africa on Monday.
- PTI
When and where to watch India vs Australia final, Commonwealth Games 2022 men’s hockey match?
The India vs Australia final, Commonwealth Games 2022 men’s hockey match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network. Live streaming will be available on Sony LIV from 5 PM IST.
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