The Blue Tigers produced a splendid performance under the stewardship of Stephen Constantine to hold the People’s Republic of China 0-0 on their home turf on Saturday. Hardly a dull watch, the match exceeded expectations with both nations going all out inside a jam-packed Suzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Suzhou City.

Visiting their neighbours for the first time in their history, the Indian side’s resilience to fight against all odds would be one of the many positives for Constantine, who had earlier suggested the importance of the friendly ahead of the AFC Asian Cup 2019. Asked to summarize the fascinating spectacle in the post-match press conference, the Indian coach said, “I thought it was a very exciting match, which both teams tried to win. Of course, China had more possession and I would say more opportunities to score, but we expected that. We defended very well and though we could have had a goal ourselves, the main thing for us was to come here and give a good performance and get used to the standards that are going to be at the Asian Cup. And I think we did that.”

Happy with the commitment of all his players, the Englishmen congratulated them while preserving special praise for the youngsters and the Chinese side for their contribution to the thriller. “I want to say congratulations to all the players. Five of them are U-23 and at the end of the game, two of them started. And this has always been my policy - to give the young players opportunities and develop them. So, I’m delighted for them. Congratulations to China for the game.”

Among the many wonderful performers, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, without a doubt, was a notch above everyone else. Apart from the sensational 24-year-old, the Indian coach also singled out captain Sandesh Jhingan for his commanding leadership skills in the centre of India’s defence. “Yes, I think the goalkeeper has outstanding potential. He, I think, is a great talent and is only 24-years-old. He definitely played his role today keeping a clean sheet. That’s why we have him! Sandesh Jhingan, as I told you in a press conference yesterday, is a fighter and puts his body on the line. He gave everything as he does and all the boys do if you represent India. When you represent your country it’s the best possible situation in your life. The boys play very hard and we obviously appreciate that.”

Captain Sandesh Jhingan mirrored his coach’s assessment of the game and felt proud of the commitment shown by the side. “We knew if we defend well, we will get chances up front. I think it was an even game. They got chances, we got chances. But I’m really proud of the team and the way we defended. That’s what I wanted from the team - the passion, the commitment and the desire we showed were second to none. We build on from this!”

Read the match report here.