Indian women's hockey team to tour Australia for five-match series

The Indian women's hockey team will tour Australia for a five-match series scheduled from April 26 to May 4, Hockey India said on Thursday.

India will open the series with two matches against Australia A, followed by three games against the senior Australian team.

The tour will begin with back-to-back matches against Australia A on April 26 and 27, followed by three high-intensity games against the world No.5 ranked Hockeyroos on May 1, 3 and 4.

All fixtures will be held at the Perth Hockey Stadium.

The tour will serve as vital preparation ahead of their European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25, which kicks off in June.

Ninth ranked India enter the series on a high after a spirited performance against world No.1 Netherlands, securing a 2-2 draw and clinching the bonus point in a thrilling shootout in Bhubaneswar.

India also have recent success against Australia to draw confidence from. In their last encounter during the FIH Pro League 2023-24, India emerged winners 1-0.

Historically, however, Australia hold the upper hand, having won 10 out of the 16 matches played between the two sides since 2013. India have registered three wins while three matches have ended in draws.

Speaking on the tour, India head coach Harendra Singh said, "This tour is an important step in our preparations for the European leg of the FIH Pro League. Playing against a strong side like Australia will test our players and give us valuable insights into where we stand.

"Our matches against Australia have always been competitive, and while they’ve had the edge historically, we’ve shown in recent years that we can go toe-to-toe with them."