Australia's Jordan Bos scores their second goal against India. (Reuters)India vs Australia Highlights, Football Asian Cup 2024: Australia beat India 2-0 in their Asian Cup Group B opener on Saturday, with second-half goals from Jackson Irvine and substitute Jordan Bos in front of a crowd largely made up of Indian fans at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
After a cagey opening half, Australia got on the board in the 50th minute when Indian keeper Gurpreet Singh failed to deal with a cross, with his tame effort to palm it away falling to Irvine in the box who pounced to score.
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The goal took the wind out of India’s sails and Australia capitalised with a second in the 73rd minute when Riley McGree dribbled into the box and cut a pass back to Bos to score seconds after coming on.
Follow India vs Australia highlights below.
Live Blog
By playing against two perennial quarter finalists at the Asian level, India stands to know where they truly are among Asia pecking order. (X/Indian Football Team)
FT: All over
And it's all over. India's first match ends in defeat. Australia run away with a 2-0 win which frankly could have been much much more.
FT: IND 0-2 AUS
90+4 mins: First yellow card
First yellow card of the match a Vikram goes lunging in and fouls an Autralian player. Sums up what a frustrating night it ha been.
IND 0-2 AUS
6 mins added.
6 mins have been added and Vikram has brought down an Australian defender trying to break away.
IND 0-2 AUS
89': Bos pulls one wide
Another close have for India as Bos turns and shoots but it just grazes the post. Almost the final nail in India's coffin. Chhetri is withdrawn now.
IND 0-2 AUS
86': Frustration for India
Liston with a frustrated attempt which i a long ranger but it's pretty tame and Ryan easily collects. Has been that sort of a day for the Indian strikers who have been tarved of service.
IND 0-2 AUS
84': Australia continue to dominate
Good idea for the Aussies as they opt for a pull back pass but there is no one to get on the end of it. India can clear.
IND 0-2 AUS
81': Gurpreet with a major save
Free kick from a dangerous position. Bruno to take it and that's a stunning free kick but Gurpreet is equal to it. Major save!!
IND 0-2 AUS
78': AUS almost in
Almost a 3rd for Australia but Gurpreet comes in and collects the ball. Great play from the team that is leading at the moment.
IND 0-2 AUS
74': Subs for India
Liston Colaco and Akash Mishra are on for India as Subhashish Bose and Sureh are withdrawn.
IND 0-2 AUS
72': GOAL!!
And that's goal number 2 for Australia. Jordan Bos who had just come on has the easy tap in from a Riley McGree cross. It's all academic from here.
IND 0-2 AUS
69': Lucky for Australia
Heart in the mouth moment from Australia a Ryan wa well off his line but a backpass almost catches him off guard a it trickle towrads the goal. But no harm done as it's wide and Ryan can collect.
IND 0-1 AUS
68': Game slipping away from India
A rare move from India but it ultimately is snuffed out by the Aussies. The game is slowly slipping away from the Blue Tigers as Autralia refuse to yield. Manvir is now caught offside
IND 0-1 AUS
63': Double subs for AUS
Samuel Silvera and Riley McGree are in for Boyle and Metcalfe as Autralia opt for double changes.
62': India struggling to string passes together
Wastage of possession by India as they struggle to string 3 passes together. The ball inevitably comes back to the feet of the Australians.
IND 0-1 AUS
60': Header missed
Chance from the corner for Australia and Souttar gets a head to the ball and that's well over the bar. Gurpreet, meanwhile, is down and is attended by the medics.
IND 0-1 AUS
58': Stimac fuming
India are not gettimng the ball at the moment with the Blue Tigers having to work pretty hard off the ball. Stimac, meanwhile, i fuming near the touchline as a throw in decision goes against his team.
IND 0-1 AUS
54': Another chance wasted
Australia well on top at the moment, keeping the ball and bossing the midfield, Indian shoulders have begum to drop and amother channce for them go begging as they try too much in too little space.
IND 0-1 AUS
50': GOAL!!
Australia in the attack again and that's another cross from the left flank that India has to clear. Oh my!! That's a disaster!!! Mistake by Gurpreet and Irvine can just slot it into the empty net!!
IND 0-1 AUS
47': Irvine shoots wide
India opring for the long ball again but don't think it'll be the way to go to break this Aussie defence dowm. ball with the Aussies and an early chance foe Irvine whose shot is well over the bar.
IND 0-0 AUS
AFC Asian Cup Live: 2nd half starts
And we are back for the second half. Will India change strategy or will it be more of the same? Let's find out as the lat 45 mins starts
AFC Asian Cup Live: Aussie the better team
0-0 at half time. Not many would have seen this coming and even though Australia have been the better team by a distance, India have kept their shape and been very solid in the defence. Chhangte looked like a threat early on with his speedy runs down the left and Chhetri missed an open header, but apart from that it’s been backs-to-the-wall job for India in the first half. It’ll take extraordinary levels of concentration and fitness for India to continue blocking Australia’s attempts for another 45 minutes, but they have done that in the past – against Qatar.
Half Time
And that's it for the first half as a resolute India keep out Australia for an entire half. We'll be back again for the second half. Stay tuned
45'+3: Waves of attack from the Aussies
Australia are on the attack again and get a corner as Poojary blocks a cross. Another corner a India clear the initial one. This onme is also clear but Autralia still come and India continue blocking.
45': 5 extra mins
Back into the game and Metcalfe with a ball to an overlapping Jones but his ball is wayward and over the goal. Not what you expect from a 25th ranked team.
IND 0-0 AUS
What Tangri brings to the table
Stimac during his tenure has got a lot of flak for being too 'experimental' with his starting 11. Today, he's got one 'experiment' spot on -- handing debut to Deepak Tangri in a match as big as this. The defensive midfielder is in the squad only because Jeakson Singh is out injured and so far, the 24-year-old has done a lot wrong in spite of relentless Australian pressure.
42': Clattering of heads
Goodwin' delivery and Metcalfe's header is well wide off the mark. Corner next and Jhingan and Rowles clashes head and the medics are on the field.
IND 0-0 AUS
40': AUS growing in confidence
Another half chance as Australia are getting a grip on the game. They try for a ball in behind the Indian defence but can't keep the ball in.
IND 0-0 AUS
37': AUS dealing in chances
Free kick in a very dangerous area for the Aussies. Very good ball, a swinging one from Goodwin and Manvir with a flying header to clear it. A corner next and Metcalfe with a shot off it but that's gone out for another corner. Another shot and that one ha gone over the bar.
IND 0-0 AUS
35': Half chance for AUS
Another half chance for the Aussies as Duke gets ahead of the Indian defendewr but can't guide it away from the defender.
IND 0-0 AUS
33': Gurpreet plucks out the corner
A corner for Australia again as Chhangte takes the ball off Boyle. But it's a tame one as Gurpreet plucks it out of the air.
IND 0-0 AUS
31': Boyle misses!!
Huge chance for Australia as the ball falls to Boyle in the penalty box and he tries a volley which is well and truly over the bar!!!
IND 0-0 AUS
29': Tangri to the rescue
Australia on the attack now a they get a bit of room in the Indian penalty box, a low cross and Tangri with a sliding tackle to snuff it out.
IND 0-0 AUS
26': Australia waste a corner
Ufff!!! That was a necessary but a dramatic intervention from Rahul as he wings a leg at it and the ball balloons over. Might have gone into his own net that. Corner for Australia. Goes over the goal. Not a great set piece.
IND 0-0 AUS
23': Chhangte fouled
Foul on Chhangte as a trailing leg from the Australian player just catches him. The free kick though is given away cheaply.
IND 0-0 AUS
21': Australia miss golden chance
Huge chances for Australia as Gurpreet was pulled out of position but he gets back in time to just save a stinging shot from Metcalfe!! How did india survive that??
IND 0-0 AUS
18': India harrying Aus
India are harrying their much more decorated opponents in this match as Australia are struggling to find any sort of rhythm. Stimac won't compalin though.
16': Chhetri misses!!!
Uffff!!!! What a chance for India. A ball from he right flank is lobbed towards Chhetri who is free. He goes for a diving header and it's off target!!!
IND 0-0 AUS
14': Chance for AUS
India giving away the ball in dangerous positions but Australia can't seem to take advantage as a brilliant bit of defending from Subhashish denies the winger
A brilliant attack by the Autralians next but Boyle can't get a proper head to that lofted pass
IND 0-0 AUS
11': Header goes wide for AUS
Chhangte with a lung bursting run and feeds the ball to Manvir who can't get the ball in control and is dispossessed. The Aussies try to break away and it's a foul. The ensuing free kick is well defended.
IND 0-0 AUS
8': Cagey start
Both sides are guilty of giving the ball away with India keeping theit shape well which does not give Australia too much space to maneuver.
IND 0-0 AUS
6": Duke's wayward shot
Australia gets their first attempt in but it' off target as Duke's tame shot is well wide off the mark. India breathe a sigh of relief.
5': India to rely on speed
Apart from the obvious gulf in technical abilities, Australia enjoy a tremendous physical advantage in the midfield -- their shortest player is as big as India's tallest. But India will rely on speed, especially on the wings.
3": India into the attack
What a ball in from Chhangte from the left side but the ball into the box could not get to Sunil Chhetri. Was still pretty close. Positive start from India.
IND 0-0 AUS
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: 2"
Austrlia kicks us away and they are the ones keeping the ball after a couple of long balls from either side that yield no results
IND 0-0 AUS
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: Australia's team
More than half of Australia's starting 11 also played in the World Cup Round of 16 match against Argentina, including captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan, who has recovered in time from a cheekbone fracture. For India, the defence led by Jhingan will face its sternest test yet, especially in the absence of key midfielders.
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: Here we go
The Indian team are in a huddle before they disperse and here we go!!!
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: A reminder of the lineups
India XI: (4-5-1): Gurpreet GK); Poojary, Jhingan, Bheke, Bose; Manvir, Suresh, Tangri, Apuia, Chhangte; Chhetri
Australia XI: (4-2-3-1): Ryan (GK); Jones, Souttar, Rowles, Behich; Baccus, Irvine; Boyle, Metcalfe, Goodwin; Duke
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: National anthems
We are almost ready for the kick off as both teams are coming out onto the ground to huge cheers. It's time for the national anthems now.
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: Qatar off to a strong start
In the first match of the tournament, hosts Qatar got off to a flying start when they defeated Lebanon 3-0 on Friday.
AFC Asian Cup 2024 Live: India at the AFC Asian Cup
This is the 5th time India will be playing in the AFC Asian Cup having previously played in the 1964, 1984, 2011 and 2019 tournament.
AFC Asian Cup Live: What India stands to gain
With so many factors going against India, the only silver lining that remains from the Asian Cup is the experience gained. By playing against two perennial quarter finalists at the Asian level, India stands to know where they truly are among Asia pecking order.
AFC Asian Cup Live: Chhetri speaks
AFC Asian Cup Live: Groundswell of support
India vs Australia live score: Stimac underlines strategy against AUS
“We have been working on our mindset through meditation. Mindset change was the key element in our approach when I started my work with Indian football. To switch from a defensive mindset to attacking football, it’s not easy. Hopefully, soon things will change in Indian football and give us elements that other countries are using to get as good as it can in football."
India vs Australia live score: How can India make it to the next round?
In order to make it to the next round, India might have to wait for a win against Syria which might put them in the third place in the group. The top two teams from each group, along with four best third-placed sides from across six groups, progress to the knockout round of 16.
India vs Australia live score: What's next for the Blue Tigers?
After Australia, India will face Uzbekistan on January 18th and then take on Syria on January 23 in the last group stage match.
India vs Australia live score: India's injury worries
And if time with the team was withheld, a slew of injuries to major players made matters so much worse. Central defender Anwar Ali – a key defensive player who decided the space between the India defensive line and their offensive line – was lost to a long-term knee injury. Jeakson Singh, a metronome passer who rarely gave the ball away and boosted India’s capabilities when they had possession, is out injured as well. And then Sahal Abdul Samad, a tireless attacking midfielder who put defensive pressure in the final third and combined it with a creative presence against heavy-set defences, was taken with the team and was part of the press conference but is clearly not fit enough to play. Three players that represented the new way that the Indian football team played, all out of the tournament.
India vs Australia live score: Diego Forlan, Nicolas Anelka wish Indian football team
India vs Australia live score: Check out the venue
India vs Australia live score: A preview of things to come
Facing an Australian team ranked 25th in the world – one that gave Leo Messi hell at the 2022 World Cup and troubled England with their physically monstrous set piece routines – is a daunting task in itself for India. And if that isn’t enough, the Blue Tigers are without four press-resistant players that constituted a well-built spine of the team for the first time in decades. What could have been a showcase of how far Indian football has come in the last one year is now set to be reduced to an act of mere survival at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on Saturday as both teams begin their Asian Cup 2023 campaign. (READ OUR PREVIEW HERE)