Mathew ryan

AFC Asian Cup: India held on grimly for 50 minutes before going down to indomitable Australia 0-2 in their opening Group B match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Saturday.

India, who displayed remarkable grit and determination in the first half to keep their rampaging rivals at bay, had to lay down their weapon for the first time in the 50th minute when experienced goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu failed to grab a cross from the right by Martin Boyle.

Instead, Sandhu, in his third Asian Cup campaign, palmed away the ball lightly, only for Jackson Irvine to slam it home with his left. With his hands stretched and a relieved smile on his face, there was a hint of vindication in Irvine’s celebrations; the Aussies, perhaps, didn’t expect the 102-ranked side to hold on for so long.