India announces 27-member squad for five-match hockey away Test series against Australia

Drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will lead a 27-member strong Indian team in a five-match away hockey Test series against Australia, with chief coach Craig Fulton opting to go with almost the entire core group of probables undergoing training in Bhubaneswar.

India will leave for Australia on April 1 and play its opening game on April 6, followed by matches on April 7, 10, 12 and 13. All the games will be played in Perth.

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The tour against one of the best hockey-playing nations is significant and the Indian team will aim to fine-tune its preparations ahead of this year’s Paris Olympics.

The tour will give Fulton the opportunity to have a look at his probable 16-member squad for the quadrennial showpiece event.

But having said that, ahead of Paris Olympics the Indians will have another important assignment in the Belgium leg of the Pro League in May, which will give Fulton more options.

“This will be a very important tour for us as it will not only ascertain the level we are at and the areas we want to get better ahead of the Paris Olympics but this is also an important tournament for the players,” Fulton said in a Hockey India release.

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“We chose to go with the almost entire core group so that each player gets enough opportunity to showcase their full potential and also it is a good tour to test different combinations,” he added.

Hockey India had on March 11 named a 28 core probables list for the men’s national camp and with 27 of them in the Australia-bound squad, it goes well with Fulton’s philosophy of giving everyone the opportunity to showcase their potential.

Only midfielder Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem has been dropped from the list of probables.

Midfielder Hardik Singh will continue to be Harmanpreet’s deputy during the series.

The team will also have three goalkeepers in PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera.

“Playing against a team like Australia, who are one of the potential podium finishers in Paris, will be challenging and at the same time an enriching experience for the level of competition they bring to the matches. It will be a good exposure trip and we are looking forward to it,” Fulton said.