The Indian men’s hockey team beat Australia at the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972, outsmarting the formidable rivals 3-2 to finish second in Pool B, here on Friday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace as India registered the famous win over Tokyo Games silver medallist and nemesis Australia in its final pool match.
Already assured of a quarterfinal berth before Friday’s encounter, the Indians played valiantly and dominated the proceedings for a major part of the match to stun the Kookaburras, against whom they last won in the Olympics in the 1972 Munich edition.
It seemed India had saved their best for their last pool match, as it delivered a power-packed performance, playing attacking hockey from the beginning, and defending well throughout.
Abhishek (12th) and Harmanpreet (13th, 33rd) scored for India while Tom Craig (25th) and Blake Govers (55) found the net for Australia.