India fall at the first hurdle against Australia

India were the first team to qualify for this Asian Cup and they will be the first to be shown the door if the drubbing by Australia is any indication.

Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer saves from India's Clifford Rayes Miranda. Pornchai Kittiwongsakul / AFP

India 0 // Australia 4

Australia Cahill 11', 65', Kewell 25', Holman 45'

Man of the match Tim Cahill (Australia)

DOHA // India were the first team to qualify for this Asian Cup and they will be the first to be shown the door if last night's drubbing by Australia is any indication.

As India started their Asian Cup campaign, more than 9,000 of their fans had filled the Al Sadd stadium. Loud and enthusiastic in their support, they still dreaded an embarrassing Australian goal-glut.

Thankfully, they did not see a repeat of the 1-9 thrashing that India received against Kuwait recently; the score-line was a slightly more "respectable" 4-0, with Tim Cahill getting a brace, and Harry Kewell and Brett Holman scoring one apiece.

Watching the game, as Australia spurned chances to extend their lead further, it would be hard to imagine India had defeated Australia 7-0 the last time they played. That was in 1956, in the midst of Indian football's golden age.

And Bob Houghton, the India coach, said the country needed to act quickly if they were ever going to recapture those glory days.

"It often amuses me when Indian journalists ask us when we are going to qualify for the World Cup," Houghton said. "If you go to China, Japan or Korea, particularly Saudi Arabia, the facilities are fantastic. We don't even have a proper training ground.

"That sounds like a remarkable statement, but it is in fact true. It is even more remarkable when you go to the UAE, or when you come to Qatar, or for that matter, even if you go anywhere else among the real football playing nations in Asia today."

Houghton was not exaggerating about the depleted conditions of football clubs in India. A recent inspection by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) found a majority of the Indian clubs did not have the facilities to be part of the national league, let alone the AFC Champions League. A second inspection follows next month, but not a lot is expected to change.

The problem, as the AFC findings might suggest, is the apathy of Indian football clubs. "What we need to do in India is to force the Indian league clubs to spend some of their money on producing training fields," Houghton said. "Until we improve the I-League, it is going to be very difficult.

"Australia could select a team solely of boys playing in the English Premier League. Now it is a big ask for India to compete at that level unless we start getting our own house in order.

"The thing is that Indian football will not make that big step forward until the national team is successful. That is the only vehicle that will drive the game forward. And for the national team to be successful, we need a strong I-League. We don't have one at the moment, I am afraid."

Still, the fans were roaring in their support of the team against Australia. They were on their feet every time a player in blue had the ball at his feet. But it made little difference in the end.

Cahill broke the deadlock after 11 minutes when he sidefooted home Emerton's low cross inside the six-yard box.

Kewell doubled the lead when he was afforded space to turn and shoot into the far corner.

Holman claimed the third with a header before Cahill completed the scoring in the second half.

With South Korea and Bahrain to follow, Indian fans are unlikely to see their team score their first Asian Cup win since their victory over Hong Kong in 1964. And it might not happen for many years to come unless there is a complete overhaul.