Nepal holds India in second friendly

CHENNAI: The India women’s team played out a goalless draw with Nepal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

In the second of two friendly matches at the venue, an injury-hit India was denied by a flurry of saves from Nepal goalkeeper Anjila Subba. Manisha Kalyan, who started the match, was at it from the get-go. She wrongfooted her marker and struck the ball with the outside of her boot, but it went straight into Anjila’s hands.

Minutes later, Soumya Guguloth had a sniff from a Manisha cross, but sent it wide. Captain and midfielder Indumathi Kathiresan had a brilliant opportunity in the 21st minute after a cleared corner was played back to her behind the defence in some space, with her first-time shot saved.

Karthika Angamuthu had arguably the best chance of the half in the 30th minute when she produced a sublime curling effort into the top corner, but an airborne Anjila pulled off another brilliant save. Dalima Chhibber had a crack at the Nepal goal minutes before the break from 30 yards out, but it lacked the requisite power and was subsequently gathered by the keeper.

In the 78th minute, Anju Tamang’s headed effort off a Dalima cross towards the far post was cleared off the line. With less than five minutes left, Indumathi measured a through ball to Sandhiya Ranganathan, who managed to reach just in time, but had the ball swept from her feet by an onrushing Anjila.

Karishma Shirvoikar got on the rebound, and with the keeper out of position, attempted to chip it in, but Nepal’s day was again saved by some desperate defending on the line. Karishma thought she had won the match with two minutes to go when she headed a cross towards the bottom corner, but a diving Anjila managed to get her fingertips onto it and deflected it around the upright.