Bhopal: Under the guidance of former Olympic hockey star Sardar Singh, the India men’s national under-18 hockey team played out an exciting 3-3 draw against Australia men’s national under-18 hockey team in the fourth and final match of the Under-18 series in Bhopal, ending the four-match contest level overall.
India finished the series with one win, one defeat, and two draws against the Australian side. The hosts started strongly in the final game, taking a 2-0 lead through a penalty corner conversion by Karan Gautam in the 10th minute and a field goal by Ben Siddharth four minutes later.
Australia responded impressively as Jet Johnstone scored twice in the 18th and 25th minutes to level the score. Indian captain Ketan Kushwaha restored the lead in the 40th minute before Andrew Falds struck late in the match to secure a draw for Australia.
Meanwhile, the India women’s national under-18 hockey team ended their campaign on a high with a convincing 4-1 victory over Australia in the final match of the women’s series.
