India 0-0 Australia Highlights, FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2026: Hockeyroos Qualify; Salima Tete's Side Bows Out

Greetings, we are back with another live blog -- India vs Australia second round match of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup. Stay tuned for live updates.

Historically, matches between India and Australia in women's field hockey have heavily favored the Hockeyroos, who hold a distinct upper hand across major global tournaments and bilateral fixtures. Across 18 encounters, Australia has secured 11 victories while India has won 3, with the Hockeyroos finding the back of the net 39 times compared to India's 20 goals. However, recent meetings—including a hard-fought series draw—have highlighted a narrowing gap, showcasing India’s growing ability to challenge the formidable Australians on the international stage.

Indian viewers can catch the India vs Netherlands Hockey World Cup clash live on Star Sports, which holds the tournament’s television rights in India. The match will be available across the network’s SD and HD channels. For fans preferring digital coverage, the game will be streamed live on JioHotstar, allowing viewers to follow the action on the go. The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup is being broadcast in India through JioStar’s Star Sports network and JioHotstar platform.

The Netherlands' comprehensive 4-1 victory over China has handed India a massive lifeline in the Women's Hockey World Cup, eliminating China and keeping Indian semi-final hopes alive. The qualification equation is now remarkably straightforward for Sjoerd Marijne's side: a victory over Australia by any margin will guarantee them a historic spot in the final four, whereas anything less than a win—whether a draw or a defeat—will spell the end of their campaign.

The whistle blows, and India gets the match underway, kicking off this high-stakes showdown against Australia!

Grace Stewart thought she had broken the deadlock, finding the back of the net from close range after a dangerous ball came in from the right.

However, India immediately sent it upstairs for a video referral, arguing for a dangerous hit in the circle. The review goes India's way—the goal is overturned! The score remains deadlocked.

Australia tries to take control of the tempo by slowing down the pace of play, but a turnover near the halfway line breaks their rhythm. Ishika seizes the moment with a brilliant, darting run down the right flank, slicing deep into the Australian circle before a desperate, last-ditch tackle halts her progress just in time!

In a frantic tenth minute, Australia's Tatum Stewart was handed a two-minute suspension with a green card, but India failed to capitalize as sloppy passing and turnovers—including one from Lalremsiami—continued to gift possession back to the Hockeyroos. Australia immediately punished the lapse when Wilson unleashed a sharp reverse hit from the right, forcing veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia into a crucial save to keep the score level.

It has been a scrappy, hard-fought start in Amstelveen as both sides remain deadlocked at 0-0. Australia has controlled the majority of possession early on and thought they had broken the deadlock when Grace Stewart found the back of the net, only for India to successfully overturn the goal through a video referral for a dangerous hit. Sensing their chances on the counter, India has tried to catch the Hockeyroos off guard with rapid transitions, though tight defending and misplaced final passes have kept the scoreline level.

Australia continued to ramp up the pressure when a foray forward by Arnott resulted in an Indian foot in the circle, earning them a penalty corner. Although the injection was mistrapped at the top of the circle, Arnott and Young managed to scramble hurried, off-target shots before the attack culminated in a fierce tomahawk from the right that forced a sharp save out of Indian goalkeeper Bichu Devi, keeping the score deadlocked at 0-0.

After earning a brief respite when Toppo won a free hit on the 23-yard line, India struggled to sustain any momentum as Flynn squandered an Australian attack by sending the ball over the baseline. Australia quickly reclaimed control when Byrnes dispossessed Baljeet, and though Baljeet and Deepika later combined through the center to launch a counter, Lalremsiami was immediately crowded out on the left wing. The pressure finally told as Baljeet, trapped in a two-on-one situation under intense duress, turned the ball over in the right corner of the Indian half to gift Australia a long corner.

With just 21 seconds remaining in the half, India squandered a golden chance from a late penalty corner with Deepika off the field, as Navneet took the injection slot and tried to orchestrate a passing sequence with Neha. After Navneet found her shooting lane blocked, she pushed it right to Neha, whose own path to goal was quickly shut down, forcing a panicked recycling back to Navneet. Although India briefly recovered possession following an interception, the frantic sequence ultimately dissolved into an attacking foul, letting Australia off the hook right before the half-time whistle.

India look to build an attack as Jyoti whips a sharp ball into the Australian circle, but the momentum stalls after it strikes an Indian stick, resulting in a turnover foul. Down at the other end, Australia immediately tests the defense when Young unleashes a powerful shot from the top of the circle right down the middle, but veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia stands tall once again to make a solid, crucial block!

Australia thought they had finally broken the deadlock, but the umpire immediately went upstairs for a video review to check the legality of the shot.

The TV umpire has ruled NO GOAL! It was deemed that Kershaw’s effort struck an Indian defender on the arm inside a crowded circle, resulting in the goal being overturned for dangerous play. The score remains level!

India let a golden opportunity slip away when a clever ball was played into the center for Deepika, who completely mistimed her swing at goal. Australia quickly responded with Arnott firing a sharp slap shot from the right corner into the circle, but it sailed harmlessly across the face of goal with no Hockeyroos player there to tap it in—bringing a tense and scoreless quarter to a close!

Australia thought they had earned a crucial penalty corner after Colwill's drag-flick flew wide off a suspected Indian deflection, but the on-field umpire's decision was immediately challenged by India.

The TV umpire stepped in and successfully overturned the call, ruling that the ball came cleanly off the stick rather than a foot. India's sharp review saves them once again as they hang on under heavy pressure!

India continued to weather wave after wave of intense Australian pressure, repeatedly relying on desperate last-ditch interceptions and crucial clearances inside their own circle to survive. At the other end, the Women in Blue let a golden scoring opportunity go begging when Navneet and Lalremsiami found themselves in prime positions in the center of the circle, only for a breakdown in communication to leave them both ball-watching as the narrow window of opportunity slammed shut.

The mounting pressure finally yielded another penalty corner for Australia after Sushma was penalized for a foot-block inside the circle. However, India's defense stood firm once more as the first rusher executed a brilliant, lightning-fast charge to shut down Colwill's angle, allowing the defense to successfully block out the drag-flick and keep the Hockeyroos at bay.

In a dramatic late gamble, India has taken off their goalkeeper, with star forward Deepika stepping onto the pitch as an additional outfield player. With the numerical advantage now in their favor, the big question is: can India capitalize on this bold attacking ploy and break the deadlock before the clock runs out?

In a dramatic sequence of late high-stakes drama, a desperate India lost a review after Baljeet was penalized for a stick check outside the circle, leaving a goalkeeper-less defense exposed to an Australian penalty corner. Colwill stepped up to fire the drag-flick, but bravery personified as first rusher Salima Tete executed a courageous charge to block the shot straight into her own body. Australia immediately burned their own review appealing for a defender's foot, but the TV umpire ruled there was no clear reason to change the call, ultimately awarding Australia a free hit outside the circle for a separate stick tackle and letting the courageous, keeper-less India survive another heart-stopping scare.

Australia successfully managed to run down the clock to end India's fierce campaign, breaking Indian hearts and securing their own spot in the semifinals while Sjoerd Marijne’s side is left to contest the fifth-place playoff. Despite coming agonizingly close throughout a nail-biting battle, India ultimately crashed out of the tournament by virtue of scoring fewer goals, leaving the bench devastated as a courageous run came to a heartbreaking end.