The Australian men's hockey squad left no doubt about their superiority on Monday, routing India 7-0 in the 2022 CWG final. This victory marks their seventh straight gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, cementing their place at the top of the sport. India was simply overwhelmed in a match that felt like a foregone conclusion. Australia's perfect gold medal defense was powered by contributions from Tom Wickham, Blake Govers, and Fynn Ogilvie, alongside double goals from Nathan Ephraums and Jacob Anderson. India, widely expected to challenge the leaders, ended the tournament without a goal to their name, taking home the silver.
The final score might have been even more lopsided if not for PR Sreejesh, the Indian keeper, who pulled off several incredible saves. India's heavy hitters, including Manpreet and Harmanpreet Singh, were shut down throughout the game. The level of Australian dominance was staggering; India failed to win a single penalty corner the entire match, leaving their defense shredded and their offense powerless.
Australia asserted their dominance immediately, launching a high-pressure attack from the start. Within the first nine minutes, they earned three penalty corners, eventually breaking the deadlock 1-0 on the third attempt. Blake Govers delivered a powerful drag flick that deflected off Sreejesh's pad and into the goal.
Australia doubled their lead just five minutes later following a stunning counter-attack. Fynn Ogilvie drove into the circle and slipped the ball past Sreejesh, allowing Ephraums to slot it home. By the end of the first quarter, the Australians were in complete control.
While India managed a few successful steals and showed flashes of effort, they simply couldn't penetrate the Australian defensive zone. In the 22nd minute, Jacob Anderson extended the lead to 3-0 with an effortless tap-in. Shortly after, Australia made it 4-0 with a clinical field goal; Timothy Brand provided the assist for an unmarked Tom Wickham, who expertly deflected the ball past the keeper.
Things went from bad to worse for India when Nilakanta received a green card and a two-minute suspension. Australia pounced on the numerical advantage, scoring their fifth goal just a minute later. After Sreejesh blocked the initial shot, Anderson reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net.
The lead grew to 6-0 when Ephraums dove to push the ball past Sreejesh. Finally, Fynn Ogilvie completed the rout, tapping in a pass from Brand at the far post to make it 7-0. It was a devastating and humbling loss for the Indian team.