Bangladesh exit with a whimper

Bangladesh winger Mehdi Hasan Ujjal (C) fights for the ball against an Indian defender during their SAFF Championship semifinal clash at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. Bangladesh slumped to a 0-1 defeat to slip out of the tournament. Photo: STARSports Reporter

Hosts Bangladesh put on a listless show as they bowed out of the Bangabandhu sixth SAFF Championship with a 0-1 loss to a youthful India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Indian captain Sushil Kumar Singh scored the only goal of the game courtesy of a free-kick, but the Indians dominated from the off and could have had atleast two more goals had it not been for the interventions of Bangladesh captain and skipper Aminul Haque.

A packed house at the Big Bowl was left dejected as India proved to be better than the hosts at every department. The loss was particularly hard to take as Bangladesh were tipped heavily to win against the young Indian side.

However they played a thoroughly frustrating game, lacking penetration and purpose and failed to threaten the Indian goal throughout the game. In-form strikers Zahid Hasan Emily and Enamul Haque were virtual spectators as the midfield put on another no-show.

India had made four changes to their side as they missed their two influential midfielders Jagpreet Singh and Manish Mathania to injury.

Bangladesh had no such worries though and fielded the same eleven that started against Sri Lanka.

But the hosts found it hard to get the ball outside their own half very early and were forced into numerous missed passes around their own box from which the Indians tried their luck, shooting from the distance.

The first real scare for Bangladesh came in the 18th minute when Robert Lalthlamuana took one of his trademark swerving free-kicks from the right flank. Dharmaraj Ravanan jumped high but he put his free header into the advertising hoardings.

Bangladesh's first shot on target, one of a very few in the game, came on the 21st minute when Zahed Parvez drilled the ball into the palms of the Indian keeper for an easy grab.

Minutes later, Ariful Islam conceded a needless free-kick from a dangerous position just outside the box as he brought down India's skipper with a clumsy challenge. Lalthlamuana let loose another vicious left-footer which took a deflection off the wall. Aminul was however wary and made a fine save diving to his right.

Bangladesh looked to be the side under pressure in front of a large expectant crowd against a young and energetic Indian side.

Minutes later Aminul once again came to the rescue, when he stretched to his full to fist away a ferocious left-footed volley from Jibon Singh, with Bangladesh reeling.

A neat build up between Mamun and Nasir gave an opening for Bangladesh in the 43rd minute. Having received the ball from Mamun, Enamul teed up Zahed Parvez whose rising shot glanced just over the crossbar. That was as close to scoring as Bangladesh got in the first half.

After the breather, Bangladesh brought in Shahedul Alam in place of Mehdi Hasan who failed to impress.

But the hosts were living dangerously in the second half as their defenders, under constant pressure from the young and energetic Indian attackers, conceded too many free-kicks in dangerous positions. And they had to pay dear in the sixty second minute of the match when India skipper Sushil Kumar Singh, after being teed up by Lalthlamuan, drilled his shot right underneath the wall into the right hand corner of the Bangladesh net, evading the diving Bangladesh skipper.

Bangladesh responded nearly immediately as wingback Wali Faisal's mishit cross was tipped over the post by Indian goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja.

Two more substitutions followed for Bangladesh, but none could change the course of the game. The Indians only grew in strength and only the fantastic reflexes of Aminul and the profligacy of the youthful players kept the scoreline respectable.

The home side looked exhausted and their slumped shoulders showed that they had conceded defeat long before the referee blew the final whistle.