Ahead of his maiden game as the India head coach, Manolo Marquez had said that the Intercontinental Cup would be a dress rehearsal for the team for bigger tasks going forward.

The start to the tournament, however, wasn’t at all ideal for Manolo and his wards as Mauritius held them to a goalless draw at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Right through the contest, the Indians couldn’t breach what was a resolute Mauritius defence. This certainly is a tournament where the Indians need to show a lot more dominance, which can then add to their confidence and boost them in terms of mindset before taking on stronger opponents.

India, ranked 124th in the Fifa rankings, enjoyed possession early on even as the visitors started the game on a lively note. The failure to make the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers still being fresh in memory, which led to the unceremonious exit of Igor Stimac from the head coach’s position, India, placed as many as 55 spots above 174th-ranked Mauritius, failed to find the back of the net and once again left their fans disappointed.

The Indian defence was tested as early as in the eighth minute when Jeremy Villeneuve of Mauritius won a set-piece and unleashed the ball into the box, but Jeakson Singh was there to make the clearance. Soon after, there was another opening for the visitors, but Jay Shah cleared the ball to safety.

With their attacking brand of football, Mauritius looked threatening and were creating more opportunities than the home team.

In the 34th minute, striker Manvir Singh, playing as the lone striker for India in their 4-5-1 formation, was sent through on goal by Anirudh Thapa and he challenged the Mauritius goalkeeper Kevin Obrian with his left-footed strike. But the custodian was up to the task and pulled off an important save.

In between, there was also a fine cross by Lallianzuala Chhangte from the right wing, but Thapa could not come up with an accurate header.

At the other end, Mauritius came close to scoring what would have been a brilliant goal, but the shot missed the target by a whisker.

India showed a lot more urgency and enterprise in the second half, looking to create chances and put the visitors under pressure.

Right after the change of ends, Chhangte was running down the right flank before sending the ball inside the visitors’ box. But an alert Obrian was there to thwart the attempt.

In the 51st minute, Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s attacking midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad, who was brought in place of his club teammate Thapa, ran down the flank but Mauritius had defenders in numbers to deny India the chance of getting a lead.

Both teams continued to create the occasional chances but lacked the finishing touches. Mauritius though often looked the better team on display.