India comfortable in Dhaka, says coach Moosa after Pakistan win

India are feeling safe and comfortable in Dhaka, coach Naushad Moosa said after his side edged Pakistan 3-2 in the SAFF Championship on Thursday, despite the Indian cricket team's recent refusal to tour Bangladesh over security concerns.

Moosa made it clear that his footballers had faced no security issues during their stay in the capital, drawing a contrast with the concerns raised by the cricket authorities.

"Not at all, nothing like that. Our security officer had already told us not to go out alone. Since we had matches, we did not go out. We went for training yesterday and played today, and we had no problems. I don't know what the situation is with cricket," Moosa told reporters at the post-match press conference.

While security was not a concern, India did face an uncomfortable experience off the pitch, with poor arrangements by the organisers leaving both the Indian and Sri Lankan teams waiting hours for their hotel rooms.

Recalling the ordeal, Moosa said the two teams arrived at the hotel between 3:15pm and 3:30pm but did not get their rooms until 8:00pm.

"We and Sri Lanka arrived at the hotel at around 3:15 to 3:30 in the afternoon. But we got our rooms at 8:00pm! They had some problems, maybe the payment had not been made or there was some other reason. That was the biggest concern," he said.

The delay, however, did little to affect India's early performance against Pakistan. Moosa's side took complete control with three first-half goals, but a late lapse in concentration allowed their opponents to score twice in stoppage time, leaving the coach frustrated despite the victory.

India had created enough chances to make the scoreline far more emphatic, and Moosa felt his players should have made better use of them.

"I am disappointed with the way we conceded the goals. With the number of chances we created, we could have scored six, seven or even eight goals. We have to understand how important it is to maintain consistency and concentration throughout the full 90 minutes," he said.

Pakistan, trailing 3-0 at half-time, fought back strongly after the break and managed to find the net twice. However, Moosa was quick to point out what he felt was a lack of fitness among the opposition players, particularly the scorer of both goals.

"I told the players in the dressing room that Pakistan would come at us in the second half. But the player who scored both goals for Pakistan could not run as much in the second half as he did in the first. That was because he had not played the full 90 minutes," Moosa said.

India will now turn their attention to the Maldives, knowing that the next challenge could prove tougher. Moosa expects the opposition to have studied his team's strengths and weaknesses after watching their win over Pakistan, but remains confident that India will be stronger for the next outing.

"Maldives have certainly watched us now, so they will have their own plans. They will try to find our weaknesses. But before the Maldives match, my squad will be complete, with more players joining us. I will certainly have a better and stronger team," he added.