INDIA HIT NEW LOW, CHHETRI AND BOYS HELD TO GOALLESS DRAW BY LANKA

MALE: India produced yet another disappointing performance as they were held to a goalless draw by 205th ranked Sri Lanka despite a dominant display in their second SAFF Championships match here on Thursday.

The seven-time champions paid the price of not creating enough chances and wasting those they got against a Sri Lankan side 98 places below them in the FIFA rankings.

Though they had a lion’s share of the ball possession, the 107th-ranked Indians were ineffective from the set-pieces and did not do much in open play either against their opponents, who only have five countries ranked below them in a 210team table.

Igor Stimac’s full-strength team is still searching for a win in two matches. They drew against 10-man Bangladesh 1-1 in their opening match on Monday, that has put pressure on Stimac.

A loss or draw against current table toppers Nepal (six points) on Sunday could make it difficult for India to qualify for the final. The top two teams from the round-robin league qualify for the final, to be played on October 16.

Changes to starting 11

India made three changes from the previous match starting 11 with Seriton Fernandes and Mandar Rao Dessai replacing Chinglensana Singh and Pritam Kotal in the defence and Suresh Singh coming in for Manvir Singh upfront.

Stimac’s side controlled the match from the beginning with the Sri Lankans barely getting any chance at the Indian goal but somehow the forwards, led by captain Sunil Chhetri, could not bulge the opposition net.

Chhetri himself could not do much on the day.

The best chance of the first half came in the 22nd minute but Liston Colaco’s free header from a nice cross from the right flank by Udanta Singh sailed over the bar. India kept on pressing for a goal but failed to put any real pressure on the opposition defence in the remaining period of the match.