HANGZHOU: A severely-fatigued and under-prepared Indian team received a rude reality check with hosts China out-muscling them 5-1 in an opening group league encounter of the Asian Games football competition in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
Giao Tianyi (17th min), Dai Weijun (51st min), Tao Qianglong (72nd and 75th minute) and Hao Fang (90+2) scored for the hosts, while Rahul KP's (45+1 minute) equaliser from an acute angle was possibly the best strike of the match.
It was heartening to see a third-string team holding the title contenders on an even keel during the first 45 minutes, which saw Indian custodian Gurmeet Singh Chahal valiantly save a spot-kick taken by rival captain Zhu Chenjie.
India now need to beat Bangladesh and Myanmar in their remaining two games to qualify for the second round. Myanmar beat Bangladesh 4-2 in the other group game earlier.
Having reached the Games Village late on Monday evening, the third-string Indian team, with not even four specialist defenders in their ranks, didn't have enough co-ordination amongst themselves. They looked jet-lagged, had not rested enough and there was no way they could have pulled off a miracle. Agencies
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