"Secrets?" A bemused Jackichand Singh is as surprised I have ever seen him and as happy as we all are around India since the national football team broke into the top 100 for the first time in 21 years.
The answer comes back at me in the form of a question as India's talismanic winger Jackichand ponders as to what really could be the reason behind India's surge up the FIFA rankings.
"I don't think we have any secret as such. It's all hard work and working hard for each other," quips the 25-year-old with a beaming smile still on his face.
India's rise up the official FIFA rankings in the last couple of years has been meteoric, to say the least. Riding on the wave of winning all of their last six games, the Blue Tigers under the tutelage of Stephen Constantine have shot up 73 places in the last two years.
A vital cog in the machinery
Jackichand Singh has been a huge part of the upsurge. The man from Manipur has quickly established himself as one of the most trusted lieutenants of the Englishman. His impact on the games, especially in the last couple of years, has been tangible.
The game against Puerto Rico is a prime example. The start of the game saw India being run ragged in Mumbai and you wouldn’t have been blamed if you presumed the hosts were in for another long night.
The Blue Tigers failed to get their main man Sunil Chhetri into the game and seemed lost for ideas. The hosts looked clueless going forward and overworked at the back. The only one who seemed to have a real inkling of what he was doing was Udanta Singh on the right - threatening time and again with his raw pace.
Thus it was a surprise, to say the least when Constantine decided to pull the plug on Udanta's night. In came Jackichand Singh. And the rest, as they say, is history.Udanta's night. In came Jackichand Singh. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Indian number 10 (at least jersey wise) made an immediate impact. It's a rarity in football that a winger makes the team around him better. But that was exactly what he did.
He might not be as agile as Udanta, but his impact, on the whole, was certainly much more profound. His nimble feet not only helped him create space for himself to get into dangerous areas but also helped create room for others like Chhetri to get more time on the ball and Pritam Kotal to be at his overlapping best. Udanta, but his impact, on the whole, was certainly much more profound. His nimble feet not only helped him create space for himself to get into dangerous areas but also helped create room for others like Chhetri to get more time on the ball and Pritam Kotal to be at his overlapping best.
A few months later at Pnomh Penh, he was again the first man called up by the Englishman to revive the team. In the friendly against Cambodia, Stephen Constantine's starting line-up raised a lot of eyebrows. But he was certainly given the benefit of doubt. Young Daniel Lalhlimpuia was being blooded for the future and CK Vineeth, who had been struggling for Bengaluru had indeed set the ISL on fire with the Kerala Blasters, albeit a few months earlier.
However, 30 minutes into the game and all presumptions were thrown out of the window. Cambodia, the hosts who were ranked around 40 places below India were dominating the Blue Tigers and how.
Constantine, however, should be given credit for understanding his fault early and Jackichands's early introduction to the game in place an out of sorts Vineeth was indicative of both his mistake and the faith he had on the man from Manipur.
Trust and continuity key to India’s success
It's been a tough year for the man, popularly known as 'Jacki'. Sought by the East Bengal officials for a couple of years with much fervour, his "dream" move to Kolkata left a rather sour taste in his mouth. His prowess on the wings was not anywhere near essential in Trevor Morgan's “grand” scheme of things.
He, however, against all odds and despite regular matches, has been one of the standouts for India. Why? He thinks he has the answers.
“I think I have a great understanding with the coach. He has real confidence in me and I think that helps me when I take to the field. He keeps asking me why I don’t go outside India. He thinks that I can make it happen even outside the country,” the 25-year-old revealed.
"When I started off around two years back, I was pretty scared at the camp. I was confident in my own ability but I was the new guy. I didn’t want let anyone down. But in these few years, I have really come close to him (Stephen Constantine). We are cool now and even crack jokes (chuckles).”
With him as one of the key cogs in the side, India’s rise up the footballing table has been a story that has helped turn the eyes of the footballing world towards the sleeping giants. And Jackichand has no disillusion about where the praises should go for this feat.
“One of the biggest reasons for our success has been the core. We have had some new faces come in like Daniel (Lalhlimpuia) and Anas (Edathodika) amongst other but the core of the team hasn’t changed much. So we know our games pretty well, we compliment each other.
“The coach and the support staff have to be praised. The coach is always open to feedbacks and our support staff sees to everything we need. When we are in the national training camp, we don’t have to think about anything. Everything from our food to our sleeping cycles are taken care of. So, all we have to think is how to perform on the field.”
And performed they have! 11 wins from the last 13 games is no mean feat and hopefully, for India, there is more to come.
