Also read: Monika shows Bangladesh the way
Sajeda Khatun made her first starting XI appearance in the tournament but the forward was unlucky to suffer an early injury which allowed Anuching to come off the bench before the half-hour mark. Anuching, the hard-working forward, made an immediate impact giving the host the deserved lead in the 32nd minute. Marzia's absence allowed Monika Chakma to take the corners, one of which from the right flag fell at the top of the six-yard box and Anuching calmly headed home past Indian goalkeeper Monika Devi. Defender Shamsunnahar doubled the lead in the added time of the first half from a penalty after India defender Pakpi Devi fouled the midfielder Shamsunnahar inside the danger zone. Shamsunnahar hit the back of the net with a confident finish into the right side of the Indian keeper. Anuching went close to scoring on two more occasions within five minutes into the second half. The continuous pressure on the India defence paved the way for the third goal, scored by Monika Chakma in the 53rd minute, who broke into the right side of the penalty area before slotting home past the India custodian.
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After resumption, India tried to offer some resistance, reshuffling the midfield but still struggled to trouble a solid Bangladesh defence. Indian attacking pair of Priyanga Devi and Sunita Munda, who scored a combined eight goals against Nepal Tuesday at the same venue, found it difficult to deal with the Bangladesh wall which consisted of Akhi Khatun, Shamsunnahar, Anai Mogini and Nazma Akter. Meanwhile, the host began their campaign with a 6-0 win over Nepal before beating Bhutan 3-0 in the second match. It was Bangladesh youth women's team's third straight victory against India in a year. They defeated India 3-1 and 4-0 in the AFC U-14 Regional Championship in Tajikistan last year. Indian coach Maymol Rockey informed that their Thursday's starting XI comprises at least seven players who featured in Tajikistan. She praised the Bangladesh girls for their maturity, experience and the strength of their squad.Golam Rabbani Choton however, said that it is the fitness level of his players that made all the difference. He said, "India are traditionally the top team in south Asia. They played well. But the fitness of our girls are much better than them which is one of the main reasons why we won." Choton also informed that he gave first team debuts to Sajeda Akter, Ritu Porna Chakma and Shamsunnahar. Meanwhile in the day's other match, Nepal and Bhutan played out a 1-1 draw as the latter finished third in the tournament due to a superior goal difference.
