Johor, Malaysia: The Indian junior men’s hockey team lost its first game in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 on Wednesday. They lost to Australia 2-4 in a fast-paced pool encounter.
Captain Rohit scored India’s first goal in the 22nd minute, while Arshdeep Singh scored the second goal in the 60th minute. Oscar Sproule (39th, 42nd), Andrew Patrick (40th), and captain Dylan Downey (51st) all scored goals for Australia.
India stays in second place with seven points from four games, having won two, drawn one, and now lost one. Australia is at the top of the table with 10 points from four games.
Summary of the Match
India opened off well, controlling the ball in the first quarter after a close call. In the first few minutes, goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh made a great save that helped India get used to the game.
India got a penalty corner in the 17th minute, but Anmol Ekka’s flick went over the post.
Rohit scored a penalty corner in the 22nd minute, giving India a 1-0 lead.
In the 25th minute, Amir Ali almost gave India a bigger lead with a great solo run, but the Australian goalie stopped his long-range shot.
Australia scored three goals in a row in the third quarter:
Oscar Sproule scored the equalizer in the 39th minute with a brilliant play down the right flank.
Andrew Patrick (40th min) – deflection from a penalty corner
Oscar Sproule scored in the 42nd minute with a backhand stroke to give his team the lead.
In the 51st minute, captain Dylan Downey scored from a penalty corner, which gave Australia an even bigger lead. India got a consolation goal in the last minute thanks to a clever deflection by Arshdeep Singh, but it wasn’t enough to avoid losing.
Next Game
India’s next pool match is against Malaysia, the host country, on October 17. They want to bounce back from this initial loss.