India alter tactics for third clash

It was a different type of game and a far different scoreline from 24 hours earlier for New Zealand in their third women’s hockey international against India in Pukekohe last night.

After their 8-2 belting of the Indians at the same venue on Tuesday night, the Black Sticks wrapped up their five-game series against the tourists with a 3-2 win to give them an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Where 12th-ranked India committed plenty of players forward to try to press New Zealand into errors a day earlier, last night they sat back more, making the fifthranked Black Sticks come to them, and it was far more effective.

Experienced midfielder Ella Gunson got New Zealand on the board with a penalty stroke, to equalise a strike in the ninth minute from Deep Ekka.

By halftime NZ were in front through a Deanna Ritchie deflection.

Midfielder Shiloh Gloyn, with a neat reverse stick shot, grabbed the third New Zealand goal nine minutes after halftime before Monika got the second Indian goal from a penalty corner just before the end.

The squad is doing plenty of swapping about during the series, giving players as much game time as possible. The down side of that is it can cause problems for players in terms of unfamiliarity.

“It’s the theme of the series. We’re constantly changing the lineup,” Gunson said last night. “India fell away on their press whereas the day before they were quite aggressive. It was quite different for us.

“Credit to them, they played it well, they threw something at us and we need to learn to adapt.”

Gunson acknowledged the challenging aspect of swapping players about. “But it’s good for us to learn to adapt and play the game as you see it.”

Game four and five of the series are in Hamilton tomorrow and on Saturday. — David Leggat