India, March 11 -- India suffered heartbreak in Sydney on Tuesday as a 1-3 defeat to Chinese Taipei ended their AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign in a must-win final group-stage match. However, winger Manisha Kalyan stole the spotlight with a spectacular long-range free kick.

Trailing 0-1 in the 39th minute, Manisha unleashed a thunderous strike from nearly 30 yards out that curled viciously and crashed off the crossbar. The ball bounced back into play, leaving players briefly uncertain about whether it had crossed the line.

Manisha immediately signalled for a VAR check, confident she had scored. Replays confirmed that the ball had struck the underside of the crossbar before bouncing over the line, bringing India level.

The commentator wa...