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India held Qatar to a goalless draw in the second fixture of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. This draw against the Asian giants can be regarded as the Blue Tigers' best result under the Croatian manager Igor Stimac.
India were forced to start the game without skipper Sunil Chhetri and in-form Ashique Kuruniyan. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was given the additional duty of leading the side. Even in Chhetri's absence, India managed to reinforce themselves to stop a storm-like Qatari attack. Right from the kick-off, the hosts kept looking for a way into the Indian box. The defence maintained shape at most times and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu stole the show whenever the ball got past the blue shirts.
At the end of 90 minutes, India managed to restrict the Asian giants, who have scored 25 goals from their last eight games in the continent, from registering on the scoresheet. The result is undoubtedly a milestone under Stimac's reign. The manager's experiments and hard work after taking over have finally started yielding results.
Here, we look at 3 reasons why India managed to pull off a draw:
#3 Sunil Chhetri's presence might have brought India a goal
While the players and fans are happy with the draw, it can't be denied that Sunil Chhetri's presence might have clinched India a goal. The Blue Tigers were keen on keeping their defence intact and hence rarely went out for an attack. But, there were moments when Udanta Singh and Manvir Singh nearly got a goal against their name.
Every time Udanta came near the Qatari goal, Indians wished Chhetri was in the box to convert. The free-kick in the second half that caused no trouble to the hosts reminded of the Bengaluru FC forward's set-piece heroics against Oman. Throughout the game, Chhetri's absence was evident from the vast space that was void between the lone striker and the midfielders.
The match again depicted how crucial the 35-year old is to India's system and is a reminder for Stimac to frame an apt successor for the talisman.
#2 A well-worked out defensive plan
India's defence was far better from their previous outing. The back-four, who had been blamed to lose out its shape after the 75th minute, rectified the mistake that cost their game against Oman.
Sandesh Jhingan and Adil Khan were unmoved in front of the goal and made valuable tackles and blocks. The flanks were well-guarded by Rahul Bheke and Mandar Rao Desai. Udanta Singh and Nikhil Poojary were assigned duties with defensive priorities and were present whenever the fullbacks required support. The midfielders too played their part well at the back, offering more resistance against the Qatari attacks. Rowllin Borges made crucial interceptions while Anirudh Thapa was in time to clear the danger.
Despite having a pacy attack, the 62nd ranked team found it difficult to break through India's defence. Qatar was forced to switch wings and tried at goal from distance out of frustration. The defence line too was kept well, leading to numerous off-sides against the Maroons.
#1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's heroics
Holding a side like Qatar would have been impossible without a faultless performance before the goal. Even after showing great improvement in defence, India was at times overthrown by Qatar's moves inside the box. In all such situations, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu came to the team's rescue, keeping the scores nil.
The Bengaluru FC custodian showcased one of his best performances in national colours and was vigilant not to concede any until the final whistle. Sandhu was always at the right place at the right time. The 27-year old had great positioning and kept a safe pair of hands. The two freekicks Qatar won outside India's box were made useless by the shot-stopper's sensibility. Though put to immense pressure from back-to-back corners and frequent shots on goal, Sandhu kept his line and spot perfectly.
It was Sandhu, who was the hosts' biggest hurdle in overcoming the 103rd ranked side. In Chhetri's absence, the captain's armband was on the right hand, which saved the game for India.
