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India beat Thailand 1-0 to finish third in the King's Cup 2019, held in Buriram. The Blue Tigers notched their first win under Croatian head coach Igor Stimac, as Anirudh Thapa's first-half goal proved to be enough to see off the hosts, after a strong second-half defensive performance.
Stimac put out a much-changed lineup from the one that lost 3-1 to Curacao in the opening game, with only Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan and Subhasish Bose surviving in the starting XI.
Here's how each player fared
Amrinder Singh - 7/10
It was a solid performance in between the sticks from the Mumbai City FC 'keeper. He was largely strong from crosses, and made some crucial saves. He might have been caught out late in the game, for not coming out to catch a cross that was in his six-yard box.
Rahul Bheke - 6/10
He started shakily, carrying on a little bit from that Curacao performance. He grew into the game, and got more comfortable on the pitch at his natural right-back position. Still was lacking a bit in the communication between himself and Jhingan.
Sandesh Jhingan - 6/10
The Indian captain on the day, he made some crucial interventions in the second half, especially. With Supachai Jaided and Teerasil Dangda a constant threat, Jhingan was serene in the face of pressure.
Adil Khan - 9/10
In his first start for the National Team in seven years, Adil was undoubtedly the Man of the Match. His assist for Thapa's goal was a superbly weighted ball across the area, but it was his contribution at the other end of the pitch that stood out. He was strong in the air, and brilliant on the tackle, and his reading of the play.
Subhasish Bose - 6/10
A calm, composed, effective performance from Bose. He did allow Tristan Do a little too much space on occasion, but he covered the flank pretty well.
Vinit Rai - 6/10
At the base of midfield, he set the tone for India in the first half. His ball retention was excellent, and he led the Indian midfield in winning most second balls, which was crucial to India's win.
Amarjit Singh Kiyam - 7/10
The youngster was once again hugely encouraging at the heart of the midfield. His ability to hold on to possession, and keep the ball moving under pressure was admirable.
Raynier Fernandes - 6/10
Raynier, too, carried on from his performance against Curacao. On the right side of the midfield diamond, he worked his socks off. Especially early in the game when Bheke was still finding his feet, Raynier's tracking back was immense and definitely did help Bheke settle, too.
Anirudh Thapa - 8/10
He's a wonderboy, isn't he? An easy finish for the goal, but his awareness of space to be in the right place at the right time did it for him. His ball retention and ability to drive India forward from midfield was immense.
Balwant Singh - 4/10
A poor performance from Balwant. His hold up play was poor, his touches were heavy, and barely managed to get involved.
Farukh Choudhary - 5/10
He worked his socks off, pressing and tracking back superbly. But on the ball, his quality was found wanting. He should've put India 2-0 up in first-half injury time, but fluffed his lines. Was unlucky to hit the post in the second half.
SUBSTITUTES
Manvir Singh - 6/10
He offered much more upfront than Balwant did, in terms of strength and presence. Still had few too many loose touches.
Jackichand Singh - 5/10
He barely had a chance to run at the Thai defence, and his passing was off.
Sahal Abdul Samad - 4/10
Something was wrong today. His passing was a little bit curious, and he looked a lot more laboured than he was against Curacao. Maybe, just the nerves of having come on and being expected to help India hold on.
