CWG 2022: Another drubbing at Australia's hands for Indian men's hockey team

The Indian men's hockey team's final against Australia for the Commonwealth Games title at the University of Birmingham gave you a sense of déjà vu. It was like reliving a nightmare, except it was reliving a reality.

In 2010 Commonwealth Games, it was Australia vs India for the gold medal at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi. Though the Aussies were powerful, the Indian hockey fans were expecting a close fight. But the Australians reduced it to a no-contest within the first half hour, pumping in three goals and eventually winning by a massive 8-0 margin. Twelve years later, at the 2022 CWG, history repeated itself. India lost to Australia in the final. Only a goal less was scored as the final scoreline read 7-0. On Monday, the rampaging Aussies sounded the board four times in the first half hour. It was a mere formality there onwards. Blake Govers (9th minute), Nathan Ephraums (14', 42'), Jacob Anderson (22') Tom Wickham (26'), Jacob Anderson (27') and Flynn Ogilvie (46') scored the goals for Australia. Even in the 2014 CWG, it was a similar thumping meted out by the Australians in the final against India. They had won 4-0 in Glasgow.

"This was not the result we wanted. A good fight, a closer result... then we would be happy, but this is not the result we wanted. We could have done something more, we could have created more opportunities, but we didn't play our best game," Indian skipper Manpreet Singh said later. "We didn't win a silver medal, we lost gold," the goalkeeper of the team, PR Sreejesh, said. "It's disappointing. This is my second time losing in the final (after 2014), so it's quite hard." India's failure to come up with the goods against Australia in marquee tournaments has been exasperating not