The Indian men’s hockey team lost to Australia 1-7  in a Pool A game of the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday. India’s lone goal came from the sticks of Dilpreet Singh in the 34th minute as the Kookaburras simply toyed with the defence and kept scoring comfortably. For India, it was their biggest loss since Australian Graham Reid took charge of the team as coach in April 2019.

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Australia looked dominant from the onset and scored through Daniel Beale (10th minute), Joshua Beltz (26th), Andrew Flynn Ogilvie (23rd), Jeremy Hayward (21st), Blake Govers (40th, 42nd) and Tim Brand (51st) to post their second consecutive win at the Games.

In the first quarter, the Indians put up a semblance of fight but in the next 15 minutes, it was all Kookaburras, pumping goals at will.

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However, it was India who had the first chance at the goal, earning a penalty corner in the eighth minute, but Harmanpreet Singh failed to execute from the set-piece. Two minutes later, Australia surged ahead when Beale deflected in Jacob Whetton’s strike after a poor penalty corner execution.

A minute later, Dilpreet missed a golden chance from close range to level the scores.

India custodian PR Sreejesh then made a double save to keep the Australians at bay.

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India were unlucky not to have equalised just seconds from the first quarter when Rupinder Pal Singh’s low flick from their second penalty corner was brilliantly saved at the goalline by Andrew Flynn Ogilvie.

But the second quarter completely belonged to Australia as they scored three goals in a span of five minutes to take the game away from their opponents.

First Hayward found the net from Australia’s third penalty corner and then Ogilivie slammed home from top right corner of the circle with a fierce hit past Sreejesh in front of the Indian goal.

If that was not enough, Beltz added to India’s misery with a fourth goal, four minutes before half time with a reverse hit.

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The Indians showed some spark after the change of ends and attacked the Australian goal in numbers. In the process they secured three back-to-back penalty corners but wasted all of them.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Dilpreet infused some life into the game by pulling one back for India, beautifully deflecting in Rupinder’s defence splitting pass from the mid-field.

India wasted another penalty corner in the 40th minute when Mandeep Singh failed to deflect in Amit Rohidas’ lay-off.

But that was all India could manage as Australia slowly tightened their defence and withstood the pressure.

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The Kookaburras managed to turn the tide and scored three more goals to hand India a humiliating loss.

Govers scored two goals in quick succession — first from the spot and then from a penalty corner — before Tim Brand rounded off the tally by finding the net from a tight angle nine minutes from the hooter.

The Manpreet Singh-led side will next play Spain on Tuesday.