FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Sunil Chhetri Brace Helps India Beat Bangladesh 2-0 and Climb into 3rd in Group E point table
India rode on a Sunil Chhetri brace
to beat Bangladesh 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and AFC Asian Cup
China 2023 preliminary joint round qualification round at the Jassim Bin Hamad
Stadium, Doha.
Courtesy the result, India moved to
six points from seven matches, while Bangladesh are at two points seven matches.
India next play Afghanistan in their last group league match on June 15.
Sunil broke the deadlock in the 78th
minute when he headed in Ashique Kuruniyan’s cross from the left. He then
sealed the result by curling in a shot from long range in added time, to win
the match 2-0 for the Blue Tigers.
Stimac
made three changes from the side that took on Qatar in the last match. The Blue
Tigers made a cautious start, playing it amongst themselves, searching for the
gaps.
In the
2nd minute, Rakib Hossain was flashed the yellow for a tackle on Brandon
Fernandes. Brandon tried to be in the thick of action in his effort to essay
those passes, and find someone in the clear.
India earned their first corner in the 9th minute, but
the first real chance came in the 15th minute when Brandon’s through ball
played between the two central defenders found Manvir Singh in the clear inside
the box.
With only the rival goalkeeper Anisur Rahaman to beat, Manvir
was a bit shy to have a try, and delayed it that shade too long allowing the
rival defence to regroup.
In the next minute, Suresh Singh got into the box but his
centre was collected by a diving Anisur.
Bangladesh’s Rahmat Mia was shown the yellow card for his
foul on Suresh in the 32nd minute.
Bangladesh had a close shave in the 35th minute when
Chinglensana Singh’s header off a Brandon corner was cleared on the line by
Riyadul Hasan.
Changing over, Mohammed Yasir came in for Udanta Singh, and
Ashique Kuruniyan replaced Bipin in the 46th minute.
In the 56th minute, Sandesh did leap more than all to head
Brandon’d corner but it didn’t pose any danger, and then two minutes later,
Sunil received a pass form Brandon on the edge of the box and out Yasir to pull
the trigger. Yasir delayed a bit, and the rival defence were able to thwart it
off.
On the hour mark, India brought in their third substitute –
Liston Colaco coming in for Manvir Singh.
Almost immediately, rival captain Jamal Bhuyan was flashed
the yellow after Suresh had sped past him on the right flank. Off the resultant
free-kick, Brandon did manage to find an unmarked Sunil Chhetri in the box but
his header was off target.
Glan’s long-range effort won India a corner in the 73rd when
it deflected off a rival defender over the goal-line. But India’s agony
continued as Subhashish Bose, all unmarked, failed to guide his header into the
goal – it sailed past the post.
A minute later Asahique was shown the yellow card for his
foul on Riyadul.
India finally was able to break the deadlock, and it was none
other than Sunil Chhetri, on the 79th minute, who connected with an Ashique
cross from an acute angle to send the ball back across Bangladesh goalkeeper
Anisur Rahman.
Bangladesh began to throw bodies forward in search of the
equaliser, but were often thwarted by the Indian defence. Jamal Bhuyian went
into the referee’s books a minute after Chhetri’s goal, for a foul on Brandon
Fernandes.
Stimac made a couple of tactical changes in order to hold on
to the lead in added time, as Pronay Halder and Adil Khan replaced Chinglensana
Singh and Brandon Fernandes, respectively.
However, captain Sunil Chhetri sealed the three points for
the Blue Tigers, as he collected a pass from the left by Suresh, outside the
Bangladesh area, and curled it into the back of the net.
Igor Stimac's men will take Afghanistan on June 15 7:30pm IST at the same venue.