India beat Australia for the first time in the Olympics after 1972, now the quarter-finals will be held on this day

The Indian men's hockey team registered a 3-2 win over Australia for the first time in Olympic history since 1972 at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Friday, with captain Harmanpreet Singh recording two goals. It was the last time the Indian men took the field against Australia in the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Mukhbain Singh scored a hattrick in that 3-1 win. It was also the first time India beat Australia on turf in the Olympics.

Drag-flicker Harmanpreet converted one short corner and one penalty corner for India after Abhishek scored the first goal of the match in the 12th minute. For Australia, Thomas Craig and Blake Govers struck. The Indian team looked completely different on the field right from the start of the game on Friday. They were making inroads into the Australian circle and in the third minute, Shamsher Singh even had a shot on goal which was saved by goalkeeper Andrew Charter. However, Australia too had a few shots on target at PR Sreejesh's post and the veteran saved all of them to save the visitors from an early lead.

In the 12th minute, Abhishek scored for India with an electric reserve flick to give them an early lead but in the next minute, Harmanpreet doubled it by converting a penalty corner. India's decent 2-0 lead gave them the upper hand on the pitch and the forwards were eager to make it big in the second quarter. However, it was Australia's Thomas Craig who scored the first goal for them on a penalty corner in the 25th minute and they came back with a score of 2-1 at halftime. The third quarter also went in India's favour and they extended their lead to two goals with Harmanpreet's second goal on a penalty corner in the 32nd minute. Australia tried to reduce their deficit but failed to do so in front of India's strong defensive wall.

In the final quarter of the match, Australia looked aggressive on the field and looked for a goal, but the Indian defenders and midfielders read them well and nullified the threat. In the 55th minute, Australia got a penalty corner and Blake Govers converted it to limit the lead to just one goal. Despite continuous attacks from the Aussies, India managed to win the match 3-2 on the final hooter. With 10 points from five matches, India finished second in Pool B and will play in the quarter-finals on Sunday, August 4, where they are likely to face Great Britain.