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Football
By S. Sabanayakan
India TFA White's Jerry Zirsanga (left) tries to move past Bangladesh player Mohammed Tareq (right) during their JRD Tata Cup match at Jamshedpur on Saturday. — Photo: Sushanta Patronobish
Curiously, both wore the same colours. If the diminutive India White play-maker Malswama was the day's hero, his teammate Vanlal Rova was the villain. Malswama's vision and imaginative promptings as an attacking midfielder were outstanding. Striker Rova, apart from figuring in moves that culminated in the first two goals, missed at least half a dozen chances, a few of them sharp ones and the rest easy. And Bangladesh's role was cruelly restricted to be an opposing side, required to play a football match. Such was the domination of the India White in the third league match played at the J.R.D. Tata Sports Complex. There was a bad news as well from the Indian camp. Sutang Marlanki, the other striker, injured his right knee and coach Stephen Constantine feared it could be a ligament tear. Bangladesh coach Mohammad Abu Yousuf said his inexperienced team was not ready for the championship. More than the experience or lack of it, what stood out prominently was the team's unwillingness to make a match of it. Coach Constantine was happy to get three points but opined that his team was rusty owing to lack of any serious competitive match in the last six weeks. India began with 3-5-2 formation as against Bangladesh's 4-4-2. The immediate impact was its ability to take charge of the midfield where more than anybody, Malswama was the pick. Short but nippy, this Tata Football Academy trainee was in great touch spraying telling through passes most of which caught the rival defence napping. India White wasted three clear chances in the first quarter in which Rova figured in two. After Malswama shot out off a Rova centre from left, Malswama fired a through ball between the Bangladesh stoppers. Rova anticipated the move, darted in, beat the goalkeeper and managed a feeble push that was cleared by a defender. Subhas Chakraborty's back centre to Marlanki was fired in as a low cross to the goal mouth. Rova missed a sharp volley from inside the six-yard box. Then came the two goals in quick succession. Ten minutes to go for halftime, Nanjangud Shivananju Manju's long throw-in from the right bounced over Gouramangi Moirangtem Singh and his marker, Mohammad Tareq, and found the unmarked Rova whose prompt shot sent the ball soaring into the net. Two minutes later came the second goal. Picking up a loose ball in the midfield, Rova slammed a quick through to the top of the rival box. Marlanki moved in quickly for the kill as the goalkeeper Khaled Mohammad Azam came charging out in a desperate attempt. Marlanki dribbled the ball away to further right when the diving custodian pulled him down. The penalty was converted by Gurjiner Singh. Bangladesh too got a chance immediately. Anomal Haque Sharif managed to get clear of the India White defenders and squared to the well-placed Mohammad Anowar Hussain whose first-timer brought the best out of India White goaltender Subrata Pal. Just before halftime, captain Gouramangi drove a high lob that caught the Bangladesh defence on the wrong foot. Rova sprinted in, side stepped the diving goalkeeper and shockingly pushed the ball away facing an empty net. India White's third goal was scored six minutes inside the second half. Left midfiedler Debrata Roy moved up and placed a diagonal back pass to Malswama inside the rival box. The Mizo lad dribbled past three defenders and shot a left-footer across the goalmouth. In desperation, Ahsanhur Rahman put his leg out and directed the ball into his own goal giving Malswama his first goal of the tournament. Before the game ended, Rova wasted three more scoring chances with a casual approach and the Bangladesh players brought about two goalline saves. The overall play of India White had the stamp of coach Constantine. The team played with neat passes based on positional play and great understanding. Most of the final passes were sharp and centres from the wings were fast and low giving very little time for the opposition to react. Long balls and hard running marked the India White's forward play, a typical ploy in English soccer. Sunday's match: India TFA Blue vs Uzbekistan.
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