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On a highly anticipated evening when the entire Indian football fraternity, including a stadium filled with 30,000 odd spectators, tuned in to witness the national team facing Australia, the Blue Tigers showcased a performance characterized by resilience and one deserving of praise.
Given Australia are ranked 77 places above India in the FIFA Rankings, it was expected that India would enter the match as significant underdogs, with limited hopes of securing a victory.
The collective desire, shared by both the supporters and coaching staff, was simply to witness a fight and tangible proof that the team has progressed since the 4-0 defeat to the same opponents in the same competition nearly 13 years ago.
This aspiration certainly came true in some parts, with a noteworthy aspect being the Blue Tigers’ ability to stand toe-to-toe with their opponents, particularly in physical battles at the back.
The back four, led by Sandesh Jhingan, stole the spotlight for their committed efforts, not only putting their bodies on the line but also reading the game brilliantly and winning several duels against Australia’s forwards.
Another positive aspect was India’s plan out of possession. Igor Stimac opted for a highly compact 4-4-2 shape, and despite Australia’s use of inverted full-backs and the consistent rotation on the flanks, India’s midfield remained aware of their defensive responsibilities and restricted their opponents from exploiting any space.
However, despite these positives, the question arises as to whether they displayed any real potential to put Australia on the back foot. While the team performed well in certain aspects, it is fair to assert that they did not pose challenges to the Socceroos’ back four.
Granted, Igor Stimac did not have a few key players, but it appeared that his team lacked a clear plan for progressing the ball or any patterns in the final third, consequently making the task easier for Graham Arnold’s men.
This prompts the question of whether this performance truly signifies progress or if India were just content to allow their opponents to dictate the flow of the game for 90 minutes which is certainly not a feasible approach.
Lack of attacking patterns a worry for India
The statistics weren’t particularly pretty from India’s perspective. The Socceroos registered 28 attempts, a stark contrast to the Blues’ four. Australia played 426 passes in the opposition half, while India managed only 37. Furthermore, India completed a mere four passes into the final third, and Sunil Chhetri’s early chance was their only completed pass into the penalty box.
Australia also boasted 23 passing chains with at least 10 passes, underscoring their command. India, on the other hand, struggled to retain the ball, managing just two chains with at least 10 passes (stats taken from asianfootball.org).
This clearly shows that the Blue Tigers lacked any sort of plan with the ball, and struggled to assert control in the game at any point. It was certainly rare for the center-backs to receive possession, and whenever they did, one could consistently observe Rahul Bheke and Sandesh Jhingan raising their arms in search of options.
The typical sequence involved the center-back passing to the full-back, who then launched the ball to the winger attempting to exploit the space. Despite a few early instances where this was successful, Australia consistently outpaced India’s wingers and regained control of the game in a flash.
The Blue Tigers showed a lack of composure once they received possession, often panicking when faced with Australia’s high press.
That ultimately boiled down to resorting to long balls down the flanks or attempting passes to Sunil Chhetri, who was up against six-foot Kye Rowles and even taller Harry Souttar. India’s only clear-cut chance came from Nikhil Poojary advancing up the pitch, courageously taking on his man before showing the intent to deliver a cross into the box. None of these scenarios remotely happened after that.
Although Australia were extremely effective, it raises a valid question about India’s attacking strategies and their willingness to be brave with the ball, especially given the positive and recurring patterns witnessed over the past year.
Question marks about India’s Plan B under Igor Stimac continue
Several other factors also raised questions. While India managed to frustrate Australia in the first half, Arnold’s men came out with renewed energy in the second half. The Aussies changed their approach by targeting India’s right side, often forcing Manvir Singh to assume a situational full-back role.
Arnold also made substitutions immediately after Australia opened the scoring in the 50th minute, which changed the course of the game. In contrast, Stimac’s first substitution came in the 75th minute, replacing Subhasish Bose with Akash Mishra.
Ultimately, it was Australia’s substitutes who played a decisive role in putting the game to bed. Bose found himself out of position, which created space for Riley McGree. A tired-looking Apuia Ralte struggled to track the winger, who easily wriggled past him before setting up fellow substitute Jordan Bos.
It is fair to suggest Stimac could have introduced substitutes earlier in the game to adapt to Australia’s tactical changes. However, the failure to do so resulted in a comfortable last twenty minutes for the Aussies, allowing them to coast towards the end of the match.
While Plan A has proven solid under Stimac, the absence of an effective Plan B has been apparent, leaving India vulnerable against elite opponents like Australia or Qatar. They possess not only quality but, more crucially, tactical know-how and superiority in these situations.
Playing against Asia’s elite happens very rarely for a team like India for obvious reasons, but competing regularly against equal or higher-ranked nations is essential for gaining experience. This change not only tests India’s quality but also brings about the development of tactical plans and the ability to adjust mid-game as situations unfold.
The upcoming clash against Uzbekistan, who are ranked 34 places above India, provides the Blue Tigers with an opportunity for redemption. But it will be interesting to see if India have learned from their mistakes in the first game.
While there’s evident progress in Plan A, reaching the next level requires Stimac and the team to work on an efficient Plan B and show more composure and consistency in possession, which could prove crucial in the next few years for the national team’s development.
