India, March 26 -- Manolo Marquez was shooting from the lip. India were lucky to have got a point, he said. "We were very, very poor," said the head coach after Tuesday's 0-0 draw against Bangladesh here. "This is the most difficult press conference I have come to. If I have to say all the things that are going on in my head.." He paused, letting the sentence hang in media room close to the pitch where Bangladesh drew the match but won the bragging rights. "Maybe this is the reality of Indian football," Marquez had told the official broadcaster.

India could still have escaped to victory had Sunil Chhetri not attempted a first-time header and tried instead to control Naorem Mahesh's delivery in the 83rd minute. Or if Subhasish Bose been a...