New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The Indian women’s hockey team is all set to embark on an exciting tour of Australia for a five-match series scheduled from April 26 to May 4. India will open the series with two matches against Australia A, followed by three encounters with the senior Australian women's team.

The tour will begin with back-to-back matches against Australia A on April 26 and 27, followed by three high-intensity encounters against the world No. 5-ranked Hockeyroos on May 1, 3, and 4. All fixtures will be held at the Perth Hockey Stadium.

Currently ranked ninth in the FIH World Rankings, the Indian team will look to build on their recent momentum and continue their strong performances on the international stage. The tour will serve as vital preparation ahead of their European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25, which kicks off in June.

India enter the series on a high after a spirited performance against world No.1 Netherlands, securing a 2-2 draw and clinching the bonus point in a thrilling shootout in Bhubaneswar—marking a confident end to their home leg of the Pro League.

India also have recent success against Australia to draw confidence from. In their last encounter during the FIH Pro League 2023-24, India emerged 1-0 winners.

Notably, they had scripted history at the Tokyo Olympics 2021, defeating the three-time Olympic champions 1-0 in the semifinals to reach the bronze medal match. Despite a close battle in the 2022 Commonwealth Games semifinal that ended in a 1-1 draw during regulation time, Australia clinched the win in the shootout.

Historically, however, Australia hold the upper hand, having won 10 out of the 16 matches played between the two sides since 2013. India have registered three wins while three matches have ended in draws.

Speaking on the tour, Harendra Singh, Head Coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, said, “This tour is an important step in our preparations for the European leg of the FIH Pro League. Playing against a strong side like Australia will test our players and give us valuable insights into where we stand. We’ve seen how this team can rise to the occasion, like we did against the Netherlands recently, and we want to build on that momentum.”

“Our matches against Australia have always been competitive, and while they’ve had the edge historically, we’ve shown in recent years that we can go toe-to-toe with them. The team is motivated and working hard in camp to fine-tune key aspects of our game before we head to Perth,” he added.

Ahead of the tour, the Indian players are taking part in the ongoing Senior Women’s National Coaching Camp at SAI, Bengaluru, working to sharpen strategies and enhance on-field synergy.