NEW DELHI (TIP): Sardar Singh will lead a 21-member Indian men’s hockey squad for the four-match Test tour of Australia to be held in Perth from November 4 to 9. Post bagging the gold medal at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, the tour of Australia is being organised as part of preparation for the upcoming FIH Champions Trophy 2014, to be held in Bhubaneswar December 6-14.

The Indian squad is set to depart for Perth on October 29 October 2014,. Besides the four Tests, India will also play a training game against Australia A on November 1 at the Perth Hockey Stadium. The 21-member squad was selected by Hockey India selectors B P Govinda, Harbinder Singh and Arjun Halappa alongwith chief coach Terry Walsh, coach Jude Felix and physiotherapist Jince Thomas Mathew on the basis of their performance in the recently-concluded selection trials at at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Goalkeeper P R Sreejesh has been named Sardar’s deputy for the tour.

Harjot Singh has been named as the second custodian in the squad. The first Test between India and Australia will be played on November 4, followed by matches on November 5, 8 and 9. “Playing against Australia will be an exciting clash and I am sure both the teams will strive to put on their best efforts and will display an excellent show against each other,” Hockey India president Narinder Batra said in a statement. “What will go in our benefit will be the performance that the team showcased both in the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games and which will be a huge motivation for the boys when they face Australia.”