August 02, 2021, Ahmedabad – On Monday, India defeated Australia in the Women’s Hockey tournament Quarterfinals by 1-0 in Oi Hockey Stadium.
The historic match witnessed the Indian team defeat World No. 2 Australia to reach the top 4 and secure a place in the Olympic semi-finals for the 1st time since 1980.
Australia started aggressively, whereas India had a slow start. Indian captain Rani Rampal had deflected shots while Sharmila Devi left the field after a back injury.
Soon India buckled up to a tight defense against Australia, and both teams were equally aggressive. Meanwhile, Gurjit Kaur drag-flicked a penalty corner into the goalpost in the 1st half and lead India by 1-0.
Though Navneet Kaur attempted a swift reverse flick, she moved past the post in the 3rd quarter, whereas Australia received their 2nd penalty corner.
Savita Punia saved 3 penalties before receiving a corner. Meanwhile, the frustrated Australian team fizzled out under equalizing pressure as Grace Stewart gets 2 penalty corners and Ambrosia Malone brings a foul to the team.
The final 5 minutes of the match became super intense as the Indian team received a green card, and Nikki Pradhan had to sit for 2 minutes. However, Australia appealed for a foul and received a penalty corner in the final 3rd minute.
With a strong defense, counter-attacks, and equal aggression, India played exceptionally, as their best performance in the Olympics.