A late equaliser from Samuel enabled Army XI share two points with Air India, Mumbai, in the opening match of the quarter-final league in the Durand Cup football tournament in Delhi on Wednesday.

Samuel's powerful strike from outside the penalty box beat custodian Yusuf Ansari with only five minutes left, thus neutralising P Shivalkar's eighth minute goal.

It was a game of two contrasting halves as Air India dominated the first 45 minutes only to see the Armymen come out with renewed vigour to take the game to the opposition in the second session.