That’s all the action we have from the Kalinga Stadium tonight. Do join in our coverage on Friday, when India takes on the 2024 Paris Olympics bound United States. Until then, sayonara!

India 0-3 Australia, Full-Time: Right then, same old, same old for Janneke Schopman’s side. Plenty of penalty corners – five to be precise, but none converted. As Punia mentioned, they did start off well and were the more dominant side in the first quarter but fell off drastically after the first goal was scored.

Australia sensed the opportunity and tightened the screws, scoring the second goal just moments later. There was no coming back from there for India, who fell to their third loss of the 2023-24 FIH Pro League home leg in as many games. This is also their fifth straight loss, if one takes into consideration the Olympic qualifiers in Ranchi last month.

Nothing seems to be going in their way at the moment and Schopman would hope they can turn the fortunes around when they take on the United States on Friday.

India 0-3 Australia, Full-Time: “First quarter we started well. But once we conceded the first goal, we went defensive. Australia is a good side and they played well,” says Indian captain Savita Punia.

India 0-3 Australia, Full-Time: There’s the inevitable. The final hooter goes off and the Indians fall to their third successive loss in front of their home crowd in the 2023-24 FIH Women’s Pro League.

India 0-3 Australia, Q4: A massive chaos in front of the goal but Jocelyn once again keeps her calm to avert the danger and maintain the Hockeyroos clean sheet.

India 0-3 Australia, Q4: Navneet with a shot on target, but the Australian goalkeeper Bartram Jocelyn blocks it with ease via her right foot.

India 0-3 Australia, Q4: Kaitlin Nobbs finds the net. Australia score once again. The Australian finds herself in a 1v1 situation with Indian captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia and she calmly slots it in. Indian defence nowhere to be found. That should be the final nail in the coffin for the hosts.

India 0-2 Australia, Q4: Dayle Dolkens picks up a yellow card for pushing an Indian from the behind. Australia are down to ten players but with just over five minutes remaining in the contest, they won’t really mind this.

India 0-2 Australia, Q4: Another penalty corner for India and the Australian defence is up to the task once again. The Hockeyroos come on a quick counter attack, but the Indian defenders have done well to fall back. Udita intercepts inside the circles and clears the danger.

India 0-2 Australia, Q4: Yet another penalty corner for India and they try a variation. Udita’s shot is deflected wide by Claxton Jane. The shot was above knee height as well and is deemed dangerous, even as India claim yet another penalty corner.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: Lalremsiami earns a penalty corner in the dying moments of the quarter. The dragflick is way off target. Yet another chance squandered by the Indians and they will go into the final quarter two goals down.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: Sangita Kumari is sent off with a green card now for her antics inside the circle. India down to ten players and Australia are back up to ten. Advantage negated.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: With just over one and a half minute left in the third quarter, Australia’s Hattie Shand picks up a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Udita. With the Hockeyroos two players down, India have to make things happen now. They won’t get a better opportunity than this.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: Stephanie Kershaw picks up a green card and is sent out for two minutes. Can India take advantage?

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: A rather sedate quarter this so far with India slowly trying to press forward and Australia happy to sit back and trying to go forward only in counter. Yet another good move from India to enter the circle, but Renee Taylor cancels it out with a good interception.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: Good penetration from the right by India, but Lalremsiami rushes into the pass and Australia regain control.

India 0-2 Australia, Q3: Just two minutes into the second half and Salima Tete is sent off with a green card for two minutes. India down to ten players.

India 0-2 Australia, Half-Time: “We created opportunities in the first quarter, we need to continue creating those,” says Indian coach Janneke Schopman.

India 0-2 Australia, Half-Time: That brings up the half-time. India, who started well in the first quarter, were completely blown away in the second. While just a single pass in the mid-field completely cracked open their defence leading to the first goal, the second followed soon after via a penalty corner.

Soon after the first strike, the intensity dropped drastically from the home side and Janneke Schopman will have a lot to ponder about in the break.

India 0-2 Australia, Q2: Yet another penalty corner for India, but Australia review immediately. The TV umpire states there’s no clear evidence on the replays and the on-field call stays. India try a variation, but fail to break through the Australian defence.

India 0-2 Australia, Q2: Good high press from India forces a mistake out of Rene Taylor on Nisha. A penalty corner for India, but they fail to take advantage.

India 0-2 Australia, Q2: An error from Gurjit Kaur hands Australia their first penalty corner of the match. Lalremsiami rushes out a tad bit too early and is warned. The second attempt hits an Indian foot, before Tatum Stewart beats Bichu Devi to extend Australia’s lead. Second goal of the tournament for the jersey No 22. India look completely lost.

India 0-1 Australia, Q2: Good save from Bichu Devi! Grace Young with a long run on the right flank and there’s no one to stop her. The ball finds Maddison Brooks, who takes the shot but is blocked by the Indian goalkeeper.

India 0-1 Australia, Q2: Grace Stewart scores! Australia score against the run of play. The Indian defence is opened up and the ball finds Kaitlin Nobbs, who selflessly sets up a tap in for Stewart. The Indians are jolted. How will they respond?

India 0-0 Australia, Q2: A slight change in playstyle from the Indians, who are now trying to go wider on the wings. They were playing from a bit inside the entire first quarter. Still keeping the pressure on though.

India 0-0 Australia, Q1: India have started off well in this contest. They have enjoyed better possession and have created decent chances. Can they keep the pressure on in the second quarter?

India vs Australia, Q1: India lose out on possession from a dangerous spot. Young Grace runs away with the ball and enters the circle, but the Indians recover well to block it out. The clearance, however, is not the best either and Australian sense yet another opportunity before it goes for a long corner. That bit of action brings an end to the first quarter of play.

India vs Australia, Q1: Australia handed a penalty corner but India ask for a review straightaway. Jyoti is adamant it is off her stick and not foot. Replays show that the youngster is indeed right. Brilliant review!

India vs Australia, Q1: Yet another good run on the right flank from India. Sangeeta manages to cross the ball in to Navneet, who is surrounded by two defenders inside the circle and ends up losing the possession.

India vs Australia, Q1: A good steal and run forward from Sunelita Toppo, but she is stopped in her tracks by the Australian defence before it turned into anything threatening. Amy Lawton picks up a green card as well. Australia are down to ten players for two minutes.

India vs Australia, Q1: Australia come close to the goal, but Savita Punia and the Indian defence combine to get out of danger. India come on a speedy counter and the an inch-perfect pass finds Lalremsiami inside the circle, but her deflection goes wide. Good start for India.

India vs Australia, Q1: A circle penetration from the right flank by India and they have earned the first penalty corner, just over a minute into the contest. Gurjit Kaur’s drag flick is blocked rather easily by the first rusher. That’s an early opportunity down the drain for India.

India vs Australia: Savita Punia calls right at the toss and India will start with the possession in the contest.

India vs Australia: The Australians enter the field first, the Indians follow to loud cheers from the crowd present at the Kalinga Stadium. Time for the mandatory national anthems – Australia first followed by India. We are just moments away from the start.

India vs Australia: “I think they [Australia] were good yesterday. They were aggressive, used a lot of speed, and were dangerous in front of the goal. We played well against Netherlands though we did not win. We need to be good in defence today,” says Indian coach Janneke Schopman ahead of the match.

India vs Australia: Two changes in the starting XI for India from the team which played against the Netherlands on Sunday. Schopman has drafted in Jyoti and Deepika in place of Baljeet Kaur and Beauty Dung Dung.

India vs Australia: The Indian women’s team, coached by Janneke Schopman, will have their task cut out against the Hockeyroos. The head-to-head record does not make for a pretty reading for the home side, who trail 2-12 in 17 outings between the teams. The remaining three matches have ended in draws.

The last time the two sides met was in a three-match test series back in May 2023, with the Indians holding Australia down for a 1-1 draw in the final match after the latter won the first two matches comfortably.

Hello and welcome to Scroll’s live coverage of India’s match against Australia, in the 2023-24 FIH Women’s Pro League in Bhubaneswar.

After two successive losses to start their 2023-24 FIH Pro League home leg campaign against China and Netherlands, the Indian women’s hockey team will hope for a better show against Australia tonight.

The Hockeyroos too started their campaign with a loss against China, but bounced back to win their second match on Tuesday against the United States.

Having missed out on the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification last month, the Indians have a lot to prove to fans and critics alike. Can Savita Punia and Co finally get back to winning ways? Answers to all of that in the next couple of hours.

India Squad

Goalkeepers: Savita Punia (C), Bichu Devi Kharibam

Defenders: Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Ishika Chaudhary, Monika, Jyoti Chhatri

Midfielders: Nisha, Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Salima Tete, Sonika, Jyoti, Baljeet Kaur, Sunelita Toppo

Forwards: Mumtaz Khan, Beauty Dungdung, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Deepika, Vandana Katariya (VC), Sharmila Devi

India’s schedule

February 4: Vs The Netherlands at 7.30pm IST in Bhubaneswar

February 7: Vs Australia at 7.30pm IST in Bhubaneswar

February 9: Vs The United States at 7.30pm IST in Bhubaneswar

February 12: Vs China at 7.30pm IST at Rourkela

February 14: Vs The Netherlands at 7.30pm IST at Rourkela

February 17: Vs Australia at 7.30pm IST at Rourkela

February 18: Vs The United States at 7.30pm IST at Rourkela

Screenshots in the blog courtesy: FIH Media / Jio Cinema