Upbeat Indian women’s hockey team ready for Australia c...

The Indian women’s hockey team would look to kickstart its preparations for the FIH Nations Cup on a positive note when it takes on Australia in the four-match series starting in Perth on Tuesday.

The Salima Tete-led side will aim to build vital momentum ahead of the crucial FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup, to be held in Auckland from June 15 to 21.

Fresh from an encouraging display in Argentina earlier this year, where India drew the four-match series 2-2 against the world No. 2 side after losing the first two matches, the visiting team enters this tour with confidence.

The squad spent the last few weeks grinding through high-intensity tactical drills at the national training camp in SAI Bengaluru, which helped the players sharpen their skills, structural play, penalty corner variations and overall match fitness under the watchful eyes of chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.

India captain Salima said the players are upbeat about the tour.

“The entire squad is really looking forward to this tour. Playing against Australia, especially on their home turf, is always a tough challenge, and that is exactly what we need at this stage of our preparations. Every match in Perth will be crucial for us,” she said.

“We want to head into the Nations Cup in Auckland with momentum and confidence. Australia will push us to our limits, and we want to use that to become a stronger unit.”

The 22-member Indian team has an exciting mix of youth and experience, with rising talents Sonam, Hina Bano and Lalthantluangi eagerly waiting for their opportunity.

Currently ranked ninth in the FIH World Rankings, the Indian team is ready to pull out all stops to challenge its eighth-ranked opponents.