Suzhou (China), May 3 (IANS) India midfielder Thandamoni Baskey reflected a mix of realism and determination following the team’s 0-2 loss to the Australian under-17 team in their opening clash of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup, acknowledging missed moments while expressing belief in the team’s ability to bounce back in the remaining fixtures.

Having played 89 minutes, Thandamoni emphasised that while India showed discipline against a physically dominant side, small errors proved costly.

“This was our first match in the Asian Cup. I feel we did well, but we could have done even better. They didn’t manage to take many shots, and even the one they scored came from our mistake,” Thandamoni, who was crucial in the qualifiers, with a goal and an assist, told aiff.com.

India had entered the match with a clear tactical plan to counter Australia’s physical advantage, a point Thandamoni highlighted while underscoring the team’s mindset.

“The coach had given us clear instructions about our roles. They were taller than us, so we had to think about how to deal with that. Our mentality was to believe in ourselves and know that we can do it,” she said.

Despite the setback, the midfielder stressed that the focus within the camp remains firmly on the road ahead, with two crucial group-stage matches still to come against Japan and Lebanon.

“We still have two matches left, so we will keep working harder and try to win. There’s a bit of disappointment after the loss, but also a strong feeling from within that we must lift ourselves up,” Thandamoni added.

Substitute Anushka Kumari, who came on in the second half, pointed to the need for sharper attacking output as India pushed forward after the break.

“We weren’t able to attack much, so we needed to create more attacking positions and keep more shots on target,” she said.

India showed greater intent in the second half, registering two shots on target while restricting Australia, but Kumari noted that execution in front of goal remains an area to improve.

“As for the result, the match was very tough, but we gave our best. Our finishing wasn’t good. They were physically stronger than us, and that affected our game a little,” Anushka added.

She also elaborated on India’s tactical approach to neutralise Australia’s physicality, focusing on keeping the ball on the ground rather than engaging in aerial contests.

“Our plan was to deal with their physicality. We knew that if we played long balls in the air, we wouldn’t be able to compete, so we focused more on playing on the ground. That would benefit us more,” Anushka stated.

With two matches remaining in the group stage, India will now shift attention to their next challenge against Japan.

–IANS

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