Mumbai, June 13: Low on confidence after four successive defeats, a struggling India will be desperate to arrest the slide and stay in contention for the top prize when they take on a formidable Australia in the men's FIH Pro League on Saturday. The European leg of the tournament has been disappointing for the Indian men's hockey team, which suffered 1-2 and 2-3 losses to Olympic champions Netherlands in Amstelveen, followed by back-to-back defeats against Argentina.  Tomas Domene Scores Brace As Argentina Beats India 2–1 in FIH Hockey Pro League 2024–25 Match.

Ranked fifth with 15 points from 12 games, India need to bounce back strongly against Australia to collect crucial points and remain in the race for a top-three finish.

"A win against Australia will be very critical for us, as it will not only help us gain crucial points but also give the team a winning momentum. We've had a few close games in the last four matches, and while we have been on the losing end, we want to change that and get some wins under our belts," said captain Harmanpreet Singh, who had missed the last match due to a finger injury, in a release.

While poor penalty-corner conversions and the recurring issue of conceding late goals cost them dearly against the Netherlands, it was sloppy defending that led to a 3-4 defeat to Argentina in the first game. In the second, a potential equaliser from a late penalty was disallowed as India went down 1-2.

India also struggled to earn penalty corners, managing only three compared to Argentina's eight. Up against a strong Australian side, India can ill afford any more slip-ups and will have to play out of their skins to turn their fortunes around. India, Argentina Hockey Team Players Observe a Minute’s Silence for Victims of Tragic Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad Ahead of Their FIH Pro League 2024–25 Match (Watch Video).

Currently ranked world number 7, India will look to draw confidence from their win over former world number one Australia during the Paris Olympics Pool stage. India will conclude their European leg with two matches against Belgium on June 21 and 22.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)