Asian Cup helped in decision-making on field, says Ashique Kuruniyan

Playing against quality opponents in the AFC Asian Cup helped enhance the Indian football team's decision-making skills, young striker Ashique Kuruniyan said Tuesday.

India suffered a heart-breaking 0-1 defeat at the hands of Bahrain, which led to the Blue Tigers' exit in the group stage of the tournament after a terrific start.

"We got to play against some of the best players in the continent. It was a huge lesson for all of us as far as decision making in the match was concerned," Ashique was quoted as saying by the All India Football Federation's official website.

"The difficulty level was naturally high and all three matches were against difficult opposition. The experience of playing in such a high-quality tournament was amazing. I feel my game has improved after this challenge and now, we have to take it forward from here."
Asked which match was the hardest, Ashique said: "I feel it was the last match against Bahrain. We had fewer chances to score and the opponents were playing a direct style of football. They were quite physical and were winning almost all the second balls. It was a tough outing for us."