SAFF Championship: India Open Campaign With 4-0 Rout of Pakistan in Bengaluru

India got their SAFF Championship campaign underway in style as the Blur Tigers romped past arch-rivals Pakistan.

India opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the game as skipper Sunil Chhetri was presented with an opportunity following a horrendous error from the Pakistani custodian, who fluffed his footing near the edge of the area, and the Indian captain took it off his feet before rolling it into the gaping net.

Chhetri was once again on target as he put India two up five minutes after his first goal of the game as he made no mistake in converting a penalty in the 15th minute of the game.

The 38-year-old stepped up to take the spot kick and scored as he showed calm and poise to blast the ball past the keeper to give India a two-goal cushion.

The strike also proved to be Chhetri’s 89th in national colours, making him the joint fourth-highest goalscorer in international football.

Chhangte seemed menacing with his darting runs into the channel and almost piled on to the Pakistani misery with a brilliant shot on the turn after a neat exchange play with Pritham Kotal, who was making his 50th appearance for the national side today.

Chhetri tried to wrap up a first half hattrick as he stood over a freekick from the edge of the area in the 31st minute of the game, but his attempted low strike missed the target by a whisker as the Pakistani unit thanked their start not to be three down before the first-period whistle.

A scuffle broke out near the touchline as halftime approached. Indian head coach Igor Stimac plucked the ball off a Pakistani player trying to get a throw-in following a challenge with India’s Sandesh Jhigan.

Both sets of players intervened and a brawl was avoided, however, Stimac was shown a red and was given the marching orders as he had to leave the pitch side for his indiscretion.

The referee brought the first period to a close as India headed into the tunnel with a two-goal lead.

India were quick off the blocks in the second period too, as Abdul Sahal Samad had a chance to put the hosts three up, but lashed at his shot from the centre of the box to send it off target.

Samad’s beautifully whipped-in cross from the right in the 67th minute nearly resulted in yet another goal for the hosts as it was headed onto the bar by second-half substitute Nikhil Poojary, who battled a Pakistani defender mid-air to win the ball.

The match was paused momentarily as a pitch invader ran onto the field but was dealt with and play resumed.

Chhetri completed his hattrick on the night as he blasted a spot kick in the 74th minute of the game past the Pakistani keeper after being brought down inside the box by the last defender, who trailed the host captain.

It marked the striker’s 90th goal on the international stage. But India weren’t done yet.

Udanta Singh, brought on as a substitute added India’s fourth of the night in the 81st minute after latching on to a long ball from Anwar Ali. He collected the ball cooly and slotted it past the keeper to hit four past the neighbours.