New Delhi, June 5 -- Indian equities struggled to hold on to early optimism this week, as every recovery attempt ran into selling pressure. Friday's session captured the nervous mood on Dalal Street: the market opened on a hopeful note, but ended weaker as investors grew cautious amid rising external risks.

Crude oil shock, geopolitical tensions, a weaker monsoon forecast and the Reserve Bank of India's cautious tone kept sentiment under pressure.

The Sensex and Nifty slipped over 0.7% each for the week, closing at 74,243.34 and 23,366.70, respectively. The fall was not sharp, but the price action showed fading confidence, with investors choosing to sell into recoveries rather than build fresh positions.

The pressure comes even as Indi...