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.
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.
While the majority of the match lacked notable highlights, it did witness a historic moment in regional football, as Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan became the inaugural female referee in the history of the Asian Cup.
Despite the dwindling prospects of the Indian team scoring a goal under the scorching desert sun, the dedicated Indian fans, accounting for an official attendance of 36,253, maintained their spirited support throughout the game.
In a host nation boasting a substantial Indian population, Igor Stimac’s team can anticipate enthusiastic backing in all their Group B matches. Their next encounter is against Uzbekistan on Thursday, coinciding with Australia’s clash against Syria.