India beat Bangladesh 1-0 in their second Group A encounter at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Thursday, September 21, 2023, thanks to a late Sunil Chhetri penalty. After a chastening loss to hosts China by 1-5. India created the first real chance of the game in the ninth minute, with Rohit Danu and Rahul KP combining to put the ball at the feet of Sunil Chhetri, inside the box. The skipper’s shot, though, was deflected wide. Chhetri had another chance a few minutes later, with Ayush Dev Chhetri’s cross falling to him inside the six-yard box.
The game fell into a pattern soon after, with more midfield tussle than end-to-end action. Bangladesh’s pacey wingers were the focal points of their attack, constantly probing and drifting crosses into the Indian box. Rabiul Hasan and Jayed Ahmed put through a flurry of crosses into the Indian box midway through the first half, each of which was cleared with ease by a stoic Indian defence. The Blue Tigers’ lynchpin for the first half was Bryce Miranda, the winger tirelessly running at defenders and constantly making the Bangladeshi players second-guess their options. In the 40th minute, his corner landed perfectly for Chinglensana Singh. The defender’s subsequent header towards goal was blocked.
Just like in the last game though, it was in that period that suddenly the action picked up. Unsurprisingly, Miranda was at the centre of it, if only fleetingly. It was his low-centred ball that caused panic in the Bangladesh defence, a miscued clearance and a weak punch by Mitul Marma, falling straight to Chhetri 10 yards from goal. The skipper shot and shot hard, but Marma was up for the challenge, diving low to make the save. The rebound, after a melee, fell to Abdul Rabeeh, who shot at goal again. Again, Marma saved. This time the rebound fell straight to Rabeeh, who had the presence of mind to lob the ball across the box to Rahul KP inside the six-yard box. Bangladesh cleared frantically and the best chances of the first half were gone.
India picked up right where they left off at the end of the first half, with Miranda’s energy and enterprise in particular driving most of it. Three minutes into the second half, he curled a cross perfectly into the six-yard box, only for Rahul KP to miscue his header. From the rebound, Rabeeh shot high and wide. India was in control of the tempo of the game, but Bangladesh was not to be written off. They capitalised on the smallest of errors and ensured Dheeraj remained on high alert. The youngster saved brilliantly after a defensive mix-up saw Fahim bear down on the Indian goal in the 50th minute.
