Hockey: India rediscover their form to prevent series clean sweep

By DAVID LEGGAT

India began and ended with a roar to prevent the Black Sticks getting a clean sweep in the four-game series, drawing the third match 3-3 in Christchurch yesterday.

India - beaten 2-1 and 4-2 earlier in the series - were 2-0 up at halftime thanks to goals from Saba Anjum and Surja Devi.

Then after falling 3-2 behind as New Zealand raised their game, India grabbed the draw with a clever move from a penalty corner just before the finish.

Black Sticks coach Ian Rutledge had talked in advance of the series of India providing a solid challenge as his team continue their preparations for the Athens Olympics. That's what is happening.

"We just weren't clinical in attack and they scored two goals in counter attack," Rutledge said. "Unfortunately we weren't tight enough in defence to mop up their counter attacks and we were a bit slack up front.

"They're always asking questions and if you're not positioned or organised well they definitely can score goals."

New Zealand's goals came from strikers Jaimee Provan and Niniwa Roberts Lang, and captain and midfielder Suzie Muirhead.

India's late equaliser - a penalty corner deliberately steered wide of the goal for Surinder Kaur to deflect in - was frustrating for Rutledge.

"We've spoken about defending that corner. Unfortunately we didn't execute it too well."

Still, he derived satisfaction from the second-half effort by New Zealand, who had nine penalty corners in the match to India's eight - which were all achieved in the second spell.

"We were much tighter, a little bit smarter with the ball and played with a fair bit of effort and tenacity."

Rutledge reserved special praise for young Wellington goalkeeper Beth Jurgeleit, who got a rare second successive outing in place of seasoned Auckland keeper Helen Clarke. "She played exceptionally well, one of her best [games] in her short career."

The series ends in Christchurch tonight before the Black Sticks go into camp ahead of their four-nations tournament trip to Australia next month.