Football: India lose 0-2 to Thailand in friendly
Kolkata: The hope is that even if they cannot be as clinical as Thailand, India will do better in the front third against Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifying game next week. And will not be overrun in midfield like they were till around the 30-minute mark against Thailand at Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, around 50km from Bangkok, on Wednesday.
Should that happen, this 0-2 defeat in the FIFA International Friendly, India's first since the underwhelming 0-0 draw against Bangladesh, will be the kind of outing that helps shake off rust. For, against a team most of whose players were on club duty till Saturday, rusty India looked.
There was hesitation in the back where, due to injury and suspension, Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali were teaming up for the first time since the 2024 Asian Cup. India were tentative in all areas of the pitch to start with and rare is it that a top-100 team will not punish that.
Benjamin Davies did in the eighth minute. Easily the most skilful player on the pitch, the 24-year-old forward ran in to fire Thailand ahead. Lalengmawia Ralte was down in the penalty box and Thailand could have stopped play. Maybe India thought they would. As it turned out, India failed to clear their lines and, following a neat exchange between Phitiwat Sookjitthammakul and Korawich Tasa which drew out Ali, Davies fired home.
What followed was a spell where India were overrun in the midfield but stayed in the contest through desperate clearances and Thailand not being able to find the target. Once, Davies twisted and turned past Abhishek Singh and Liston Colaco before Ali made the block.
Thailand were expertly drawing India out and activating the wide men till Abhishek became the extra player in midfield. From a Colaco free-kick, Sunil Chhetri had tested Saranon Anuin with a header but it wasn't till the 33rd minute that India could stitch together a move that pulled the seams of Thailand's defence. That was when Lalengmawia Ralte found Colaco who laid it for Ashique Kurnuniyan, who snatched at the shot.
Ashish Rai managed a teasing cross but India should have made it 1-1 before half-time. They had stopped a Thailand move and got Chhetri to find Colaco through on goal with only Anuin to beat. The goalie got big and legged out Colaco's effort.
India began the second half like they had ended the first with Kuruniyan, used a second striker, finding Chhetri, who was visibly upset that his appeal for a penalty was turned down. There were free headers that Jhingan and Ali could not keep on target from corner-kicks (India had eight, Thailand two) and a bender from Lallianzuala Chhangte that, well, didn't bend enough. Suhail Bhatt also broke through once but could not sort out his feet.
Both teams had three shots on target but India had attempted 19, Thailand seven. Poramet Arjvilai made it 2-0 with a superb curler from range after Davies had found him. The move stemmed from a poor pass from Manvir Singh when India were on the attack. He was not the only one guilty of that. India then needed interceptions from Rai and Ali and a reflex save from Vishal Kaith to prevent a rout. 'The biggest lesson from this game is that we need to take our chances,' said skipper Jhingan.
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