LAHORE: Pakistan were crushed by hosts Australia 9-1 in their first match of the International Festival of Hockey at Melbourne’s State Netball and Hockey Centre on Wednesday. The defeat is Pakistan’s worst-ever in their hockey history. Pakistan’s previous worst came when Holland defeated Pakistan 9-2 at the 2006 Champions Trophy in Terrassa, Spain. The Green Shirts are a record four-time world champions. Australia, the reigning world champions, dominated the proceedings almost throughout the game. Blake Govers, who scored a hat-trick, took two goals off penalty corners and a mesmerising field goal. Aaron Kleinschmidt had a brace for Australia.
The Kookaburras’ first goal came in the eighth minute, off their first penalty corner, when an excellent top of the circle drill baffled Pakistan’s defence and Jeremy Hayward put his team ahead. Within four minutes, Jake Whetton doubled the advantage. After robbing a defender, he entered the circle from the left, immediately swerved and rattled the board. The first half’s last goal came off a wonderful Whetton assist. His inch perfect ball from the circle’s top beat a crowded defence and Kleinschmidt easily scored from the middle of the scoring area. In the first 30 minutes, Pakistan had just one open play attempt, when Arslan Qadir’s full stretch effort eluded the target. They also wasted one penalty corner with the score at 3-0 at the end of the first half. Two minutes into the second half, Abu Baker Mahmood brought a glimmer of hope for Pakistan when his forceful flick went high into the net off Pakistan’s second penalty corner.
However, within a minute, the Aussies restored the three goal lead: Kleinschmidt had his second of the evening with a superb first time reverse-hander from the left of circle’s edge which went into the roof of the far net. Govers made it 5-1 with a penalty corner conversion with a flat forceful push. Though Australia had most of the exchanges in the third quarter of the game, it still was the green shirts’ best 15 minutes of the game. They had open play opportunities and a couple of penalty corners, and scored off one of them.
Pakistan’s sloppy defending seemed to be theme of the day but in the last quarter, it completely melted away and conceded four more goals. Kiran Arunasalam dived to avail a parallel pass sent from left before Govers scored the most memorable goal of the day. Standing on the left side of the circle, the body feinted the defence and netted the ball, finding the narrowest of the narrow gaps between the near post and the net minder, all in one movement. Soon, a reverse shot by Govers, across the face of the goal, was well flicked into the goal by Tom Wickham. Govers completed the tally and also his hat-trick in the last minute when his hard low push went past goalkeeper Mohammad Amjad’s left pad, off another penalty corner. In the four-nation event, Pakistan play Japan – which held a strong New Zealand side 1-1 in their last match – on Thursday (today).
Scorers:
Australia: Blake Govers (3), Aaron Kleinschmidt (2), Jeremy Hayward, Jake Whetton, Kiran Arunasalam, Tom Wickham
Pakistan: Abu Baker Mahmood.
Published in Daily Times, November 9th 2017.