Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sumeet Passi and Halicharan Narzary scored goals to help India record a 3-0 win over Bhutan at the Changlimithang Stadium, Thimpu, in a friendly match on Saturday. Though this was the Indian team's first match since beating Laos 6-1 in June, the result will not be recorded since the match did not have official status.
In the absence of several experienced players, coach Stephen Constantine started with Subrata Paul in goal, while the defence was shored up by Aibor Khongjee, Sandesh Jhingan, Pronoy Halder and Fulganco Cardozo. Rowlin Borges, Jackichand Singh and Dhanpal Ganesh made up the midfield, while the attacking trio of Passi, Jeje and Narzary completed the line-up.
India kicked off in front of a boisterous crowd, who were almost given more to cheer about by star striker Chencho Gyeltshen inside the first minute, as he noticed Paul off his line and tried to chip him from the left flank, but missed narrowly.
India were quick to retaliate, and their very first attack bore fruit. Halder's low cross whipped in from the right was met by Passi, whose glancing header gave India a 1-0 lead.
India doubled their lead in the 18th minute, when Jeje -- also wearing the captain's armband -- took advantage of a loose ball that fell his way to turn and shoot from just inside the Bhutan box. India scored their third goal just three minutes later, when Halicharan Narzary placed a first-time volley from the edge of the box perfectly into the corner of the Bhutan goal.
The hosts had their best chance to score in the 36th minute, when midfielder Lhendup Dorji's speculative shot from long range took a deflection from one of the Indian defenders, but Paul had no difficulty in collecting the ball.
The second half began with three substitutions -- two of them in defence -- for India, but it was Bhutan who had to make some structural changes, with a straight red to one of their midfielders in the 54th minute.
However, this appeared to spur the Bhutan team into action, with a long-range effort from Karma Shedrup Tshering in the 56th minute narrowly going over the crossbar behind Paul. A couple of minutes later, Bhutan also won the first corner of the half, but failed to score.
India picked up the pace with a fourth substitution, as Lallianzuala replaced Jackichand, while Isaac Chhakchhuak justified his inclusion with a burst of speed from the right flank in the 72nd minute, but his right-footer was well-saved by the Bhutan goalkeeper.
Jeje came close to doubling his tally for the day in the 88th minute, but his shot from close range hit the underside of the bar and was cleared.
Bhutan kept fighting till the end, but most of their shots today were wayward. They got a free-kick in a dangerous position in injury time, but Gyeltshen's attempt was deflected off the wall for a corner, which saw a Bhutan header fired wide. That proved to be the final action of the match.
India's next engagement is a friendly against Puerto Rico in Mumbai on September 4, while Bhutan travel to Bangladesh to play the first leg of their 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification Round 2 playoff.