India stun world champions Australia in Azlan Shah Cup

[Gollum]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/hockey/top-stories/India-stun-world-champions-Australia-in-Azlan-Shah-Cup/articleshow/46888250.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=TOI :yay::yay::yay::hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff: This deserves a thread. I stopped following our Azlan Shah campaign after losses to New Zealand, Malaysia :facepalm: and draw against South Korea. But in the final match of the group stages we beat the World Champs Australia 4-2 and have secured the bronze medal match. Great achievement by the boys because Australia is the numero ono team and even heavyweights like Netherlands, Germany struggle a lot against them. Last 18 months or so we have beaten Australia, Germany and Netherlands a few times which we used to struggle to do since the 90s. This team plays with passion, has fearless attitude and is fitter than our previous teams. Finally I have some hope for Indian hockey. Of course they still concede soft goals, are weak in defence and short of world class in ball trapping. But we can only get better. Praying for a medal in Rio 2016, hope GOI gives full support to our tigers. :isalute:

[Precambrian]

Did Aus play their full strength team?

[G_B_]

congrats

[Gollum]

Did Aus play their full strength team?

Close to full strength team, unlike the Champions Trophy 2014 in Bhubaneshwar where they fielded a few rookies, over here they played more or less the best team, most of their players were also part of their 2014 Hockey World Cup triumph. they were also undefeated here thrashing the likes of South Korea,NZ before running into us.

[adi B]

I have watched the azlan shah tournament for more than a decade and this is the only tournament (maybe the test match series as well) where India upsets Australia.we won 4-3 in 2010 against them as well,they don't play their full strength team.India have historically done well in this cup

[adi B]

Actually in the last decade or maybe 15 years, out of all the top sides we've competed pretty well against Germany.I hardly remember us losing by more than a goal against Germany in our encounters,only aus and ned have had our numbers and probably Argentina as well but on our day we can and have beaten the top 5 side regularly

[Gollum]

Actually in the last decade or maybe 15 years' date=' out of all the top sides we've competed pretty well against Germany.I hardly remember us losing by more than a goal against Germany in our encounters,only aus and ned have had our numbers and probably Argentina as well but on our day we can and have beaten the top 5 side regularly[/quote'] Germany generally do not win by big margins against any team. Australia and Netherlands, yes I have seen them pound many teams by huge margins regularly. i think we have beaten Aus max last 3-4 years among big teams. Netherlands we have beaten a couple of times here and there(more famously in the Champions Trophy in Bhubaneshwar, 1st time since the 80s in that tournament). Germany I don't remember us beating them, of course we have drawn many times against them or lost narrowly. Talking about last 5 years, against Spain, Argentina,Belgium we lose more than we win. Against NZ,South Korea it is more or less even stevens and we have a +ve record against Pakistan, Malaysia,South Africa,Canada. One team against whom we lose always and which is weaker than us is England :facepalm:. I don't understand what happens to our boys when we see them on the field, they were also the ones who knocked us off and denied a spot in Bejing 2008. Even in cricket we lose to them quite often these days. In 90s and early 00s England were our perennial bunnies in both cricket and hockey. Need to get tha H2H in order. Agree with you about this being an upset. Generally we beat 2nd string or depleted Aussie teams, this time we have smashed close to their best team.

[jusarrived]

^ Germeny dont send their main squad to any other tournements but WCs and Olympics .