The Indian women's hockey team, captained by Salima Tete, departed for Australia on Thursday, 21 May, embarking on a four-match tour at the Perth Hockey Stadium before heading to the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup 2026 in Auckland. The tour represents one of the most competitive pre-tournament preparations the side has undertaken ahead of a packed international calendar.

Match Schedule in Perth

India are scheduled to face Australia on 26, 27, 29, and 30 May at the Perth Hockey Stadium. The hosts rank among the world's elite, making the four-game series a high-stakes test of India's readiness. This is the kind of opposition exposure that bilateral tours against lower-ranked sides cannot replicate.

What Salima Tete Said

'The entire squad is really looking forward to this tour. Playing against Australia, especially on their home turf, is always a tough challenge, and that is exactly the kind of challenge we need at this stage of our preparations, with crucial international tournaments coming up later this year,' Salima said in a statement released by Hockey India.

The captain added that an intense training camp over recent weeks had sharpened the team's fitness, combinations, and tactical shape. 'I feel the team has come together really well, and the matches in Perth will give us a chance to put everything we have worked on into practice against one of the best sides in the world,' she said.

The Bigger Picture: Nations Cup, Asian Games, World Cup

Following the Australia series, India will travel to Auckland, New Zealand, for the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup 2026, scheduled from 15 to 21 June. Beyond that, the Asian Games and the Hockey World Cup loom as the season's defining targets.

Salima framed the Australia tour explicitly as a confidence-building exercise. 'Every match in Perth will be crucial for us. We want to head into the Nations Cup in Auckland with momentum and confidence. Australia will push us to our limits, and we want to use that to become a stronger, more cohesive unit,' she said. 'The Nations Cup itself will be another important marker for us as we build towards the Asian Games and the World Cup. We want to peak at the right time, and these tournaments are all stepping stones towards that,' she added.

Context and Stakes

The tour comes at a pivotal moment for Indian women's hockey. The side has been building steadily under Salima Tete's leadership, and a competitive showing in Perth — against a nation that has dominated the global game — would signal genuine progress. Notably, the FIH Nations Cup doubles as a ranking event, adding further weight to the Auckland leg of the trip.

All eyes will be on how India adapt to Australian conditions and pace before the Nations Cup opener on 15 June.