Oct. 14: World champs Australia turned the heat on India, blanking them 8-0 in the final of the men’s hockey competition here on Thursday. Playing in sweltering heat, the Aussies — who had so far complained about the mercury levels — used it well to their advantage and put up an effortless show. They toyed with the Indian defence, midfield and attack to clinch their fourth successive Commonwealth Games gold.
For the Indians — barring the day’s display — there’s a lot to take home. The players showed a lot of heart in the matches against Pakistan and England, and a silver medal might just be the sign of good things ahead. Ironically, India held the upper hand for the first 20 minutes of the game. The team controlled the pace of the ball and kept the Aussies under a tight leash.
The game was restricted to the midfield with both teams assessing each other. Australia broke through in the 19th minute through Jason Wilson and it opened the floodgates for the visitors. Goals poured in freely thereafter with the Aussies exuding their class and caliber. Chris Ciriello made it 2-0 after two minutes, converting a penalty corner.
Wilson’s next had class written all over it. Attacking on a counter, the Aussies scored off a three-touch move that left the Indian defence stranded. “We wanted to silence the crowd. For me, the first goal was the turning point. The ball went into the net and the spectators fell silent. I guess it took a lot out of the Indian team,” said tournament’s top scorer Luke Doerner, who pumped in the fourth one in the 34th minute.
The Aussie dominance not only silenced the 20,000 crowd, but also forced half of them to leave the ground. The Indians tried to claw their way back, but the gap was too large to fill.