India, Dec. 5 -- Bibiano Fernandes knew the only way India could win against Iran was if they escaped to victory. To do that India would have to defend like they never had and capitalise on the few chances they got. So, after India came from behind to lead 2-1 and tried running down the clock but kept conceding possession, Fernandes said he tried to stay calm.

"I wanted to focus on how we can defend with Iran all over us," said the India under-17 head when I asked what was going through his mind once his team was ahead.

"So, I was thinking of substitutions. The instruction to staff was: let me know quickly if somebody was dropping (in intensity)." At an online media conference on Wednesday, Fernandes said: "I knew as time ran out, the o...