Indian hockey team to leave for Australia for four test series on October 29
Confident India to tour Australia
The Indian men’s hockey team will leave for Perth on October 29 to feature in a four-test series against World champions Australia. The four-match Test will be played at the Perth Hockey Stadium in Perth. Hockey India High Performance Manager Roelant Oltmans said in an informal chat that the team will comprise a 21-member squad for the trip, which begins with a practice game against a West Australian side in Perth on November 1.
“The fact that we are taking 21 guys to Australia means some of them, who have been continuously engaged in national camps and international competitions in recent times, will get a breather as we can rotate players around,” Oltmans said hours before leaving for Johor Bahru, Malaysia with the Indian junior team for the Sultan of Johor Cup, where the India colts launch their campaign against New Zealand on Sunday.
The national team is riding high on confidence after winning the Asiad hockey gold, in the process securing a direct berth for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The team is currently taking a week-long break before they link up for their preparatory camp for the Australia series, which begins in New Delhi from October 15. Indian head coach Terry Walsh is presently in Australia for a small vacation and is expected to be in India by October 15. “The boys will go through the paces in Delhi till October 28 and the team is expected to be picked a week before we leave,” he intimated. Oltmans further added that the Australia series will serve up an ideal preparation for the FIH Champions Trophy slated to be held in Bhubaneshwar in December. “Australia are a quality side and the series will help us stay in good shape for the Champions Trophy,” he said.
Schedule
The first India-Australia Test will be played on November 4, with the second Test slated to be held the following day. The team will have a two-day rest before squaring off in the third Test on November 8 with the fourth and final Test scheduled to be held the next day.
It may be significant to mention that both Hockey Australia and Hockey India are locked in discussions to make the India-Australia hockey series an annual affair.