Commonwealth Games Hockey: Australia, the thorn in India’s flesh

The women’s team had a bumpy ride to the semifinals, while the men’s team had a smooth ride to the final. Both faltered against the Australians, whose 24-year reign in the Commonwealth Games shows no signs of ending.

Uthra Ganesan


All’s well that ends well: Members of the Indian women’s hockey team with their silver medals after winning the bronze-medal playoff match against New Zealand. India let in a goal with 18 seconds to go for the final whistle but Savita Punia saved the day for India during the shootout. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

A year after India’s hockey teams impressed at the Tokyo Olympics, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games have reminded us that sport isn’t a mathematical equation with a single definite solution but an unsure science. All permutations and processes throw up new results.