India go down 4-5 to Australia in fifth hockey Test, lose series 1-4
Adelaide (PTI): Skipper Harmanpreet Singh's brace went in vain as India lost 4-5 to Australia in the final game to hand the five-Test hockey series 1-4 to the world no.1 side here on Sunday.
Tom Wickham (2nd, 17th) scored two goals for Australia while Aran Zalewski (30th), Jacob Anderson (40th) and Jake Whetton (54th) were the other goal getters for the home team.
Harmanpreet (24th, 60th) converted two penalty corners for India while Amit Rohidas (34th) and Sukhjeet Singh (55th) also found the opposition net.
India had lost 4-5 and 4-7 in the first two Tests before winning the next match 4-3 They lost the fourth game 1-5.
Australia were by far the better side on display as they controlled the proceedings in opening two quarters.
India, on the other hand, were slow to get off the blocks and looked tentative.
Australia wasted no time in punishing India with Wickham scoring from top of the circle with a fierce strike as early as in the second minute.
The Indians failed to put pressure on the Australian defence and hardly created any chances in the opening quarter.
Australia doubled their lead in the 17th minute and again it was Wickham.
Lachlan Sharp stole the ball in the midfield and went past a few Indian defenders to set it up for Wickham, who slotted home from a one-on-one situation with India custodian PR Sreejesh.
India managed to pull one back in the 24th minute when Harmanpreet converted a well-executed penalty corner.
Australia soon earned two consecutive penalty corners but India reserve goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak made a good save to deny Jeremy Hayward.
But the Kookaburras restored their two-goal advantage seconds from half time when Aran Zalewski scored from close range after Pathak made a double save to deny Anderson.
India came out attacking after the change of ends and reduced the margin to 3-2, with Amit Rohidas scoring with a powerful shot from a tight angle.
Minutes later, Sreejesh made a smart save to keep out Sharp as Australia continued to put pressure on the Indian defence.
Australia extended their lead in the 40th minute when Anderson pushed in Daniel Beale's ball.
The Kookaburras continued to press hard on the Indian backline and from such opportunity, Whetton pushed home from close range to make it 5-2 in favour of the hosts.
The Indians responded immediately from the next move and Sukhjeet found himself at the right place to tap in a fine team effort.
In the final minute of the game, India secured a penalty corner and Harmanpreet was in no mood to miss the opportunity, reducing the margin to 4-5.
But that's all the Indians could manage as there was hardly any time left for an equaliser.
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SGPC writes to Mann, seeks ban on 'Emergency' in Punjab a day before release
Amritsar, Jan 16 (PTI): The SGPC on Thursday wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release of Kangana Ranaut's movie 'Emergency' saying it "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Actor and BJP MP Ranaut's 'Emergency' is slated to release in cinemas on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Dhami said the SGPC will submit a letter also to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
The SGPC denounced the "character assassination" of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistani militant killed in 1984 in a military operation.
"If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level," Dhami said.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the producers of the 'Emergency' film, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove the objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
In the notice, the producers of the film, including Kangana Ranaut, were asked to remove the trailer released on August 14 from all public and social media platforms and tender a written apology to the Sikh community.
The SGPC objected to film writing separate letters to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification.
