Hong Kong scored in the first minute of added time to deny India full points in their opening match of the football tournament at the Asian Games in Doha on Wednesday night.
In a keen encounter, the Indians were under pressure for most of the match but some stout-hearted defending denied their opponents a clear look at goal.
And just when the match looked heading for a goalless stalemate, the Indians found the net with a minute to go for the final whistle when Pradeep Papachan scored from 30 metres.
But the Indians' joy was short-lived as Hong Kong found the equaliser in the 91st minute when a superb cross caught the Indian defence napping and Siu Ki Chan darted in well to head home.
India take on Maldives in their next match on December 3 while Hong Kong meet Iran the same day.
In other matches of the day, Japan beat Pakistan 3-2 while Oman got the better of Malaysia 3-1.
Unbeaten in seven matches under new coach Yashuharu Sorimachi, Japan fielded a young and energetic team, 21-year old defender Yugo Ichiyanagi being their oldest player. They went ahead after three minutes through Keisuke but had to wait till the 32nd minute to add another goal through Hiroyuki Taniguchi.
Action got fast and furious in the second session but it was the Japanese who consolidated when Taniguchi scored his second goal of the evening to give his team a 3-0 lead.
With a comfortable cushion, Japan relaxed a bit. That allowed Pakistan to step up the pace. They were rewarded for their enterprise as Muhammad Rasool pulled a goal back (1-3) in the 61st minute and Naveed Akram made it 2-3 in the 82nd minute.
But that was as far as they could go. The Japanese plugged the chinks in defence and finished comfortable 3-2 victors.
Japan take on Syria next while Pakistan face DPR Korea on December 3.
Oman went ahead in fortuitous circumstances through an own goal in the 40th minute by Malaysia's Nor Farhan. Ten minutes into the second session Ibrahim Al Ghailani made it 2-0 heading home a cross from Fawzi Bait Doorbeen.
Malaysia reduced the margin in the 60th through Mohammad Hardi Jaafar, but in an attempt to find another goal to equalise they left yawning gaps in defence which the Omanis exploited.
Badar Al Maimani put the issue beyond doubt scoing in the 89th minute with a stiff right-footer.
Malaysia meet China while Oman play Iraq on December 3 in their next matches.
Results of Tuesday's matches:
Group A: United Arab Emirates 1 (Yaser Al Junaibi 70) Uzbekistan 2 (Alexander Geynrikh 44, 55); Qatar 3 (Sebastian Quintana 6, Adel Lamy 69, Yasser Hussain 71) Jordan 0
Group B: South Korea 3 (Lee Chun Soo 2, Park Chu Young 59, 74) Bangladesh 0; Bahrain 2 (Sayed Mohamad Adnan 33, 44) Vietnam 1 (Le Cong Vinh 40)
Group C: Thailand 1 (Suchao Nutnum 11) Palestinian territories 0; Kuwait 3 (Mohammad Sanad 57, Husain Almosawi 74, Bader Almotawwaa 90) Kyrgzstan 0
