The Kookaburras' triumphant start to Olympic year has been checked rudely by a 5-3 defeat to the Netherlands in the final match of the Indian leg of their FIH Pro League campaign.
Colin Batch's Olympic silver medallists had hoped to make it eight matches unbeaten in 2023 and push past the world No.1 Dutch team at the top of the table in their Rourkela send-off on Sunday.
But after six wins and Saturday's shootout victory over India, Australia were brought down to earth in an eight-goal affair despite their strikes from Jacob Anderson, Tim Brand and Jeremy Hayward.
The Netherlands show why they're ranked number 1 in the world as they inflict our first loss of the #FIHProLeague season.
— Kookaburras (@Kookaburras) February 25, 2024
That's a wrap on our India tour, we'll be back in Pro League action in May and June with mini-tournaments in Antwerp and London. pic.twitter.com/2GHjn4SO5H
Australia captain Aran Zalewski was left shrugging: "Going down to the Dutch, who are a classy outfit, was a disappointment for us because we didn't play exactly to the brand we like to play but the whole tournament we played some really good hockey."
Indeed, Australia, the world's No.3 side, had been outstanding in their first match against the Dutch nine days earlier, prevailing 5-4 in the league's stand-out match.
But there was no argument about the champions' supremacy this time as they stretched their lead to six points over the second-placed Kookaburras, even though they've played four games more than the Aussies.
Anderson scrambled the first goal home from Tom Wickham's fine assist after six minutes but Jake Whetton saw yellow for ignoring the umpire's whistle and the depleted Aussies then succumbed to the prowess of 21-year-old gun Duco Telgenkamp, who equalised after a brilliantly intricate team passing movement.
It was the young Dutchman's 14th field goal in just 18 matches, and the 15th followed quickly as this special striking talent also deflected home a 20th minute cross.
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝟑-𝟓 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) February 25, 2024
Netherlands close out their long stay in India by handing Australia their first loss of season 5 #FIHProLeague, further increasing their lead at the top of the table.
📱 Watch the full match highlights on… pic.twitter.com/PIurmdEhaR
From there, the Kookaburras were under the cosh, with Jip Janssen, the league's leading scorer, landing the 60th goal of his career from a penalty corner.
"We lost our way a little, we were playing pretty well and got into card trouble and struggled after that," said Batch of their first-half struggles.
Janssen set up an even more dazzling effort from Tjep Hoedemakers, who hurled himself to the ground while deflecting the short corner ace's shot into the net to put the Dutch 4-1 up.
The Kookaburras had come from 3-0 down in their previous Dutch clash and there were brief hopes of a similar fightback with Brand's 46th minute goal, a neatly deflected effort from Tom Craig's superb reverse stick through ball
But Terrance Pieters struck for the Dutch a couple of minutes later, with Hayward's penalty corner five minutes from time - his 112th international goal - proving only a consolation.
Australia could still reflect on being in a strong position in the league, as they prepare to move on to the next leg of the competition in Antwerp in May.
