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Ashique, the point of positive difference
The first three-quarters of the Asian Cup and World Cup joint qualifying fixture between India and Bangladesh in Doha was far from an entertaining watch, with little significant action in the attacking areas of the field.
Chennai
As the match on Monday approached its final stretch with the scoreline undisturbed, it cried out for a telling pass into the 18-yard box. And, India winger Ashique Kuruniyan, who came off the substitutes’ bench at the start of the second half, did just what the doctor ordered. Ashique proved to be the point of positive difference for the Blue Tigers, providing a delightful delivery for Sunil Chhetri to nod home in the 78th minute.
In an e-mail interaction with DT Next, the 23-year-old relived the mighty important opening strike.“The moment I got the ball, I looked up and saw Sunil bhai, who was at the edge of the box and ready to make a run.
He waited until I made contact with the ball. In that split second, I took the decision of crossing the ball to the far post. With all his experience, Sunil bhai calmly headed it home,” explained Ashique, a livewire on the left wing.
In stoppage time, skip-per Chhetri rubber-stamped the result with a second goal and helped India notch up its first win in the joint qualifiers. To no surprise, Ashique said that the national team captain makes the task simpler for those around him. “The job becomes much easier.
A striker usually waits for crosses while a winger always looks for the right place and time to deliver them. There has to be sync. Sunil bhai’s biggest quality is his ice-cool head and that is what makes him different from others.
Once he is inside the box, he is just so cool. He understands that chances won’t come off every move and that it is important to convert when there is one,” added Ashique.Fresh from a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh, India with six points from seven matches in Group E will meet Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Ashique said that the In-dia players are in an upbeat mood, but stressed that they aren’t complacent heading into the team’s final game.“The morale in the dressing room is high. But, the match against Afghanistan is a new one.
While the positive result against Bangladesh will inspire us, it will not guarantee future success. So, we need to start from scratch,” Ashique concluded.
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