India women beat Hockeyroos 1-0 in first hockey Test

The Indian women’s hockey team, ranked 12th in the world, began their tour of Australia by beating the fourth-ranked Hockeyroos 1-0 in the first of three Test matches in Melbourne on Wednesday.

The win was their first over Australia and set up by a second-quarter goal by captain Rani Rampal and consistent aggression in attack and defense ensured that the Australians were kept playing catch-up for the remainder of this engaging match.

A special mention is also reserved for India’s goalkeeper Rajani Etimmarpu, whose smart footwork added to the Hockeyroos’ frustration on a day that should rank highly for Indian women’s hockey.

“It was a really satisfying first half, I think we played well. It feels good to do well against higher ranked teams,” Rani said during the break, and her excellent stick work helped ensure India maintained their supremacy from the first half.

As we head into the break, take a look at @imranirampal's splendid PC strike which gave India the lead. #IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/jcyQTx1YR1

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 23, 2016