Off-colour India escape with a point against gritty Bangladesh

Manolo Marquez was shooting from the lip. India were lucky to have got a point, he said. "We were very, very poor," said the head coach after Tuesday's 0-0 draw against Bangladesh here.

- Dhiman Sarkar

SHILLONG: Manolo Marquez was shooting from the lip. India were lucky to have got a point, he said. "We were very, very poor," said the head coach after Tuesday's 0-0 draw against Bangladesh here.

"This is the most difficult press conference I have come to. If I have to say all the things that are going on in my head..." He paused, letting the sentence hang in media room close to the pitch where Bangladesh drew the match but won the bragging rights. "Maybe this is the reality of Indian football," Marquez had told the official broadcaster.

India could still have escaped to victory had Sunil Chhetri not attempted a first-time header and tried instead to control Naorem Mahesh's delivery in the 83rd minute. Or if Subhasish Bose been able to keep a free header on target in the 72nd. Equally, against a team that have never beaten them in India, Marquez's men, who, barring Liston Colaco, played like boys, could have been embarrassed.

Vishal Kaith started his first competitive international in some time with a mispass and it almost led to Bangladesh scoring from kick-off. Most people had not been able to get in when Mojibor Jony hit the side-netting after Hamza Choudhury found him on the right.