India vs Bangladesh Match Details
Date: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Time: 13:30 (IST)
Venue: Wenzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Wenzhou
India vs Bangladesh Match Preview
The 5-1 thrashing of India in the hands of hosts China in the Asian Games opener was foreseeable. Due to the chaos of releasing players for the competition, the team only landed a day ago of the match and without adequate rest or training sessions went straight into it. The team was completely outplayed in the second half with players unable to maintain the stamina and already faltering fitness issues. Despite that, the opening half showed a lot of encouragement as the team responded brilliantly after going down and having a penalty saved by Gurmeet Singh. Rahul KP’s thundering equalizer at the stroke of half-time gave every fan the belief to pull off a remarkable story in the match. Although it did not materialise, the goal will serve as a motivation for the rest of the tournament. With the required addition in the centre-back position, after a few players like Chinglensana missed the first match due to visa issues and preparation time, the Blue Tigers will hope to roar this time with the winnable fixtures ahead against the rest of the opponents in the group.
They will face a fellow nation from South Asia in Bangladesh in the second group game wishing for their first win at the Games. The Bengal Tigers are also coming back off a defeat amid a slender 1-0 to Myanmar. That too from an own goal from Hasan Murad on the 68th-minute mark. Shortly after, Myanmar went down to 10-men with a straight red shown to Zwe Khat Min but Cabrera’s men failed to take any advantage of it. They will hope to recover from that loss against a battered Blue Tigers but bloods boiling to prove their mantle. India knows the 189th-ranked nation will give them a fight hoping to exploit their weaknesses in the full-back region, like China did, making the game a do-or-die situation for both. Even though knowing the group winners along with the best runners-up and even the third place side will qualify for the knockouts. Igor Stimac’s side wishes to get six points from the remaining two games to make their path easier which Bangladesh are desperate to deny.
India vs Bangladesh Team News
Bangladesh wishes to remain unchanged even after suffering defeat in the first game. The burning question of selection though will remain on India’s camp. In the last match, players were either substituted with cramps with some made to play the full minutes without options available at their position. It so happened that at a time when Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem and Vishal Yadav sat on the bench with no outfield players on the bench. It will change when Chinglensana Singh adds to the depth of the center-back position with no surety of another defender Narender Gahlot and attacker Aniket Jadhav. Both were in the country with Odisha FC for club duties in the AFC Cup. Another talking point is whether the overage players Sandesh Jhingan and captain Sunil Chhetri after offered the full 90 minutes, at least for the former, in the opener.
India Squad
Goalkeepers: Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Vishal Yadav
Defenders: Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Deepak Tangri, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh, Lalchungnunga.
Midfielders: Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James Lyngdoh, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Vincy Barretto.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Rahim Ali, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav
Head coach: Igor Stimac
Bangladesh Squad
Goalkeepers: Mitul Marma, Pappu Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Srabon
Defenders: Rahmat Mia, Isa Faysal, Murad Hasan, Shahin Ahammad, Jahid Hossain, Tanvir Hossain, Sakil Hossain
Midfielders: Mohammad Ridoy, Mojibur Rahman Jony, Rabiul Hasan, Abu Sayeed, Papon Singha, Jayed Ahmed, Shahidul Islam
Forwards: Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Suman Reza, Piash Ahmed Nova, Jafar Iqbal, Rafiqul Islam
Head Coach: Javier Fernández Cabrera
