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Where was Komal Thatal?
The Sikkimise boy, with his eye-catching golden hair, had caught the eyes of many fans and critics alike with his wonderful and feisty display of skill and guile in the first match. Komal Thatal, who was one of the more highly rated Indian talents in the squad and was being talked about a lot even before the tournament had begun,was left out of the starting lineup and was kept as an unused substitute for two matches in a row by coach Luis Norton De Matos, a decision that took many by surprise.
Komal along with goalkeeper Dheeraj, had been India's bright spots in their maiden World Cup match against USA. Even though India lost 3-0 to USA, their performance was well appreciated and both these boys were very fondly talked about.
Komal, who is one of the key play makers in the side,had been playing very well going into the tournament and proved his mettle as the 'blue eyed boy' for India, by putting up a performance against USA that did justice to his status. It was a very strange decision from the coach to leave one of his best players out two games in a row.
A fallout? A tactical decision? Whichever it may be, in the end it, played a big part in the country's win-less bow out from the group stages in it's maiden World Cup.
