India go down 1-5 against Australia in first game of Hockey Test series

The Indian men's hockey team suffered a 1-5 loss against the host Australia in the first Test of the five-match series in Perth on Saturday.

The Australians controlled the tempo of the match from start to finish. The Indian team showed some sparks in the final quarter but it was too late by then.

Tom Wickham (20th, 38th minute) scored a brace, while Tim Brand (3rd), Joel Rintala (37th), and Flynn Ogilvie (57th) were the other goal-getters for the winners.

India's lone goal was scored by Gurjant Singh in the 47th minute.

It was a poor showing from the visitors, and they couldn't get out of their shells once Australia started attacking.

Brand received a long pass from the deep and outfooted Jarmanpreet Singh with his stick work and pushed the ball past veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.

Australia continued to press hard on the Indian defence and secured their first penalty corner in the eighth minute but could not breach Sreejesh's defence this time.

Sreejesh made a reflex save with his extended right leg to deny Joel Rintala.

A minute later, an alert Sreejesh used his razor-sharp reflexes to again keep Rintala out of target from Australia's second penalty corner.

India secured their first penalty corner in the 10th minute but failed to utilise the chance. Soon, Jake Whetton's reverse shot was parried away by Sreejesh.

Australia scored one more goal before half-time courtesy of some sloppy defending by the Indian players.

Austalia came more charged after half-time and scored two goals in the space of one minute in the third quarter. Rintala poached a brilliant goal from Willott's reverse hit while Wickham scored his second goal with a fierce shot as the Indian defence was caught napping.

The hosts continued in the same vein after the change of ends as Rintala was in the right place at the right time to get a neat deflection off Ky Willott's reverse hit seven minutes into the third quarter.

Down by four goals, the Indians showed urgency thereafter but lacked ideas as they failed to create clear-cut chances from field play.

Gurjant scored India's only goal on a counterattack through a powerful shot from the top of the D after receiving an inch-perfect pass from Mohammed Raheel.

India made some terrific incisive moves through the mid-field to expose the Australian defence but faltered in the final third.

Australia scored the fifth goal when Jeremy Hayward's initial flick was saved by Krishan Bahadur Pathak but Ogilvie sounded the board from the rebound to register the comfortable win for the hosts.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday in the second Test of the Perth International Festival of Hockey, considered as a preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics.