After a dull first-half half, attacking midfielder Abul Hossain put Brothers in front with a seventh minute strike before a sparse crowd at the big bowl. Ghanaian striker Yusif Yakubu equalized for the visitors in the 68th minute in a frantic second half that saw the men in Orange taking the lead again with promising national striker Zahid Hasan Emily blasting home the second a minute later.

Brothers lived dangerously with the slender lead before Mahindra's Brazilian marksman Jose Barreto Ramiro leveled the score again in the 72nd minute.

The draw the Premier League champions their first point in the competition after a 2-0 defeat against Al Muharraq of Bahrain in the opening match.

The Mumbai football giants on the other hand picked up their second point after two games. Ironically, they also drew their first game at home 2-2 to Lebanese Al Ahed.

Back in the day's match, chances were few and far between in a boring first-half.

Brothers midfielder Parvez Babu wasted a golden chance as early in the ninth minute when he headed over the bar while Yusif and Barreto missed two distinct chances for Mahindra.

The game came alive after the break with Emily tantalizingly close to putting his side ahead in the 49th minute after his right footer missed the mark by a whisker.

Brothers however broke the evening's duck after three minutes when Abul brilliantly side-footed a low Siraji cross into the net. A second goal for Abul looked a reality when the nimble attacker got enough space to have a crack at the goal after nine minutes but he drove the ball wide off the mark.

Mahindra showed great urgency after they were down by a goal and launched a series of attacks. They got their reward soon when Yusif tapped the ball home from a handshaking distance off a Barreto cross.

Brothers took the lead from a quick counter attack with Emily completing a fantastic run with a placing shot past Mahindra defender Deepak Mandal.

But Barreto, unmistakably the best player on the field, spoiled Brothers' party with a glancing header on a Rauf Sher Khan cross.

The visitor could have won the match had not country's number one custodian Aminul Haque made some spectacular saves during the last quarter of the match.

"Aminul actually saved the match for his side. He was brilliant under the goal post. We came from behind twice that's why we are satisfied with the outcome but our performance was not up to the mark," said Mahindra coach Derrick Pereira.Brothers coach Wajed Gazi however was disappointed with the result.

"We went into the match virtually without any practice which is not really fair. But it is really sad not to get full points after taking the lead twice. It was really frustrating for us," said the veteran coach.

Yellow cards: Faisal, Joy, Parvez and Aminul (Brothers), Surkumar, Yusif and Venkatesh (Mahindra).

TEAMS
BROTHERS: Aminul, Shuvro ( Faisal), Masud Rana, Jewel Rana, Siraji, Joy, Parvez, Pranatosh (Liton) (Tapu), Abul, Emily and Monwar.

MAHINDRA: Sandip, Surkumar, Deepak, Samson (Subash), Rauf, Sushanta, David (Surajit), James (Venkatesh), Steven, Barreto and Yusif.

Referee: Srestha Gyanu Raja (Nepal).