NEW DELHI, March 18: 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 their opening game on April 6, followed by matches on April 7, 10, 12 and 13.
All the games will be played in Perth.
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.
Team:Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, PR Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera.Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Amir Ali.Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Vishnukant Singh.Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Mohammed Raheel Mouseen, Boby Singh Dhami, Araijeet Singh Hundal. (PTI)