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India and Bangladesh played out a goal-less draw in their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match in Shillong on Tuesday.
Bangladesh were slightly the better side in the first half with more attacking moves and corner kicks but without any clear-cut chances.
India put up a much better performance in the next 45 minutes, putting Bangladesh under a lot of pressure but the chances were few and far between.
In the 12th minute, India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith committed a mistake as he kicked the ball into an opposition player. Mohammed Ridoy pounced on the deflection and sent a left footer from an angular position into the open net but Subhasish Bose produced a goal-line clearance.
India's best chance came in the 31st minute but Udanta Singh's header off a Liston Colaco cross from left failed to beat Bangladesh goalie Mitul Marma.
In a dominant second half display for India, Bose made an audacious long range effort which beat the Bangladesh goalkeeper all the way but missed the left corner of the net by inches in the 68th minute.
Five minutes later, Farukh Choudhary's right footer went just wide after a deflection from a Bangladeshi defender.
The 84th minute saw star striker Sunil Chhetri getting a free header inside the Bangladesh box but his effort lacked direction and power.
Bangladesh midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who is currently playing for Sheffield United on loan from English Premier League side Leicester City, could not do much for most part of the match.
The two sides face each other again on November 18 in Bangladesh.
India's next qualifying round match, though, will be against Hong Kong on June 10 in Kowloon.
India had come into the match after a 3-0 thrashing of Maldives on March 19, to mark talismanic striker Chhetri's return to international football and Manolo Marquez's first win as head coach.
India are placed in Group C of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying third round along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Singapore, and only the top team after six home and away matches qualifies for the continental showpiece.