Aus tour will help us assess where we stand: Harendra

The challenging Australia tour, beginning Saturday, will help the Indian women’s hockey team assess where it stands, chief coach Harendra Singh said on Friday, adding that he will also experiment with combinations, keeping in mind important future assignments.

The Salima Tete-led Indian team will clash with Australia ‘A’ in Perth on April 26 and 27, and take on the senior team on May 1, 3 and 4.

Australia have traditionally been strong rivals, winning 10 of the 16 matches played between the two sides, while drawing three.

Harendra is confident that the strenuous month-long training camp in Bengaluru had prepared the team well for the matches.

“The team has trained intensely during the camp in Bengaluru, and this tour will help us assess where we stand,” said Harendra, who took over from Dutch Janneke Schopman following her resignation in the aftermath of the team’s failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The team will draw inspiration from its recent victory against powerhouse and world No. 1 The Netherlands in the Pro League.

“Our focus is on giving players international exposure, building squad depth, and trying out combinations. Playing against Australia A and the senior Australian team in their home conditions will be a good learning experience and help us prepare for the important competitions coming up this year.”

India had a mixed outing in the home leg of the Pro League recently where they registered two wins and a shootout victory against the Dutch.