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.
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.
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.
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.