DOHA, QATAR: The Socceroos kicked off their AFC Asian Cup campaign with a bang, silencing the passionate Indian support with a dominant 2-0 victory in a pulsating Group B clash at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium on Saturday.

Jackson Irvine was the architect of Australia’s triumph, breaking the deadlock just after the hour mark with a clinical finish. The midfielder pounced on a loose ball in the box before unleashing a thunderous volley that left Gurpreet Singh in the Indian goal with no chance.

The Blue Tigers, buoyed by a raucous fan contingent, looked threatening in patches but lacked the cutting edge to seriously trouble Mathew Ryan in the Australian net. Their hopes were extinguished in the 73rd minute when Jordan Boas doubled the Aussie advantage, capping off a slick counter-attack with a composed finish.

The win sends Australia to the top of Group B, while India faces an uphill battle to progress after this opening-day heartbreak. The Socceroo’s, oozing confidence after this assured display, will look to build on this momentum against Uzbekistan in their next outing, while the Blue Tigers must regroup and rediscover their attacking spark against Syria if they dream of reaching the knockouts.