2022 CWG, hockey: India women lose to Australia in semi-finals
The Indian women's hockey team suffered a fateful defeat to Australia in the semi-finals of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Women in Blue lost 0-3 in the penalty shootout after the scores were leveled 1-1. They can still eye a bronze medal finish. Earlier, they bested Ghana (5-0) and Wales (4-1) before losing 1-3 to England and then a 3-2 win over Canada.
Australia meant business right from the start. Rebecca Greiner garnered a 1-0 lead for the Aussies in the 10th minute. India failed to capitalize on a penalty corner in the 24th minute to trail 1-0 by half-time. Vandana Katariya (49') pulled one back for India to level the scores 1-1. India failed to register a single goal in the shootout that followed.
Australia's Ambrosia Malone had missed her first attempt in the shootout. Despite that, she was handed another try by the officials as the clock didn't start on time. Kaitlin Nobbs and Amy Lawton were the other scorers for the heavyweights.
In 2021, India missed out on securing their first-ever Olympics medal in women's hockey. India lost 3-4 to Great Britain in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Although India made a comeback in the second quarter, they lost the lead eventually. It was India's best run in women's hockey at an Olympic event since the 1980 edition.
The Indian women's hockey side has not won a medal at the Commonwealth Games in the last 16 years. Their last medal at CWG came in 2006 (silver in Melbourne). They had lost 0-1 to Australia in the final. India won their only other medal at the Games in 2002 (gold in Manchester) when they overcame England in the final.
India will face New Zealand for a bronze medal finish on Sunday. The Kiwi Women succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the shootout against England in the semi-finals after both teams failed to open their account in the regulation time.
