India defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 in their SAFF Cup opener at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Wednesday.
The young Indian team, which had gone on an exposure tour of Australia and had spent a cumulative 45 days in the national team, needed goals from Ashique Kuruniyan and Lallinzuala Chhangte to overcome their neighbours.
Stephen Constantine opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, as Sumeet Passi and Farukh Choudhary started up front for the Blue Tigers. Vishal Kaith was in goal as captain Subhasish Bose started as the left-back. Anirudh Thapa and Germanpreet Singh started in midfield.
Sumeet Passi had the first chance of the match, but squandered it and couldn’t get to the end of a cross from Bose. Sarthak Golui, starting at right-back, picked up a booking in the 17th minute.
Kuruniyan ran in behind the Sri Lankan defence, losing his marker in the 35th minute. The Pune City man then stroked the ball past the keeper to register his first international goal.
Chhangte, the second youngest Indian man to ever score an international goal, squandered a couple of good chances in the first half but made up for it, rather inadvertently, at the start of the second period.
The Delhi Dynamos winger crossed from the left, which evaded everybody including the keeper to double India’s lead.
India face Maldives in their next match on the 9th.
