Players from the subcontinent in a bid to revive hockey in their respective countries have surprised World Champions Australia in the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament in Malaysia. On Monday, defending champions India thwarted Australia by 4-3 to clinch and important match of the tournament. The very next day, Pakistan gave a tough time to the Kangaroos with their skills and speed on the hockey field. Australia allowed Pakistan to score three quick goals at the dying stages of match to share the points at 5-5.
In an exciting match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Wednesday, Pakistan overcame a three-goal deficit to pull off a draw after scoring a last-minute goal. The Pakistani team was playing with 12 youngsters in the side who were up against the mighty Australians for the first time in their hockey careers.
Timothy Bates scored the opening goal for Australia in the 11th minute of the match. Grant Schubert doubled this lead. Mohamed Rizwan replied for the Pakistanis in the 21st minute of the match, reducing the deficit by two goals to one. Christopher Cierello made the lead 3-1 with an attacking move, minutes before the half-time whistle.
At one stage, the Aussies were leading by four goals to one when Ciriello scored his second goal of the match in the 40th minute. Pakistan began their fight back when Muhammad Irfan scored a goal to reduce the margin by four goals to two. Pakistan converted a penalty corner with just 13 minutes to go, reducing the deficit to 4-3. Pakistan was pegged back when Schubert made his second goal of the match and the fifth for his team. With nine minutes to go, the match seemed to be ending in Australia’s favour. It was a superb performance from the green shirts as they came back strongly. They scored their fourth goal through a penalty corner conversion by Muhammad Imran. Pakistan levelled the match in the last minute of the game, shocking the Aussies in stunning comeback.
“When we were 1-4 down, I thought we were in for a hiding and will end up conceding seven or eight goals,” said Pakistan coach K.M. Junaid.
“I am proud of my players for the strong fight back and they showed potential to become a strong team. This is a big result for us.”
Australian manager Paul Gaudoin said that the lack of maturity and inexperience resulted in his team conceding a draw.
“We did not play well in the second half and our defense was not up to the mark. This sets us back in the race for a final berth but we will keep going,” he said.
“For us this tournament is a huge learning experience and that is why we are here. The players will benefit from this and we also have to review the structure of the team.”
Pakistan has gained five points in the tournament while Australia has seven. Both teams have two matches to play and remain in contention for a berth in the final. Pakistan would now meet the Egyptians in their fifth match and will take on the quick Koreans in their last encounter in the league stages. To qualify for the top four spot, Pakistan needs a draw against the Koreans after beating the Egyptians. By looking at Pakistan’s current form, it looks highly probable that they might win in their upcoming matches.
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