Suresh Singh Wangjam brought a stream of calmness into the valley of chaos for the Blue Tigers

Even from high up in the stands, Suresh Singh Wangjam could be seen calling the shots, instructing the full-backs and championing India's need for calmness in the midfield. A wallflower of a character off the pitch, the 21-year-old looked like someone who belonged in the national team on Wednesday against Cambodia,

Suresh oscillated up and down the pitch, but most importantly, he channeled his inner leadership qualities, which fans have rarely seen.

In the 10th minute of the game, there was a moment when Akash Mishra had the ball on the left flank (seen in the picture below). The Bengaluru FC midfielder kept asking for the ball.

Once he received it, Suresh picked out a forward pass and found Sunil Chhetri and a passing triangle was created in the final third.

Suesh Wangjam creates a passing triangle in the opposition third out of nothing. (Image Courtesy: Screengrab/Hotstar)

The Blue Tigers lacked penetration going into the opposition box but not due to a lack of trying. Head coach Igor Stimac had deputized his wide players to bomb down the flanks. Suresh provided a stream of calmness in the middle, cutting through the valley of chaos in wide areas.

What he did was simple. what he did is quintessentially what a Number 6 does. However, simplicity is a rarity. Especially when it comes to Indian football. Take, for instance, the whole fiasco around something as manageable as the ticketing system around an international game.

But that's a story for another day.

Quizzed by Sportskeeda in the post-match press conference about Suresh's role in the opening AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers game, the Croatian tactician explained:

"Well, we need to accept that Anwar and Sandesh aren't the quickest in the world. The two Cambodian strikers were quicker than them. So I needed someone with a good engine and good speed in front of the two defenders to cut down on their counter-attacks."

"It was Suresh's duty tonight, along with switching sides from the middle, which he did well apart from one or two poor passes. But he had an amazing game."

The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 star sat in front of the two centre-backs and marshaled the passing channels to cut down any threat of counter-attacks.

Suresh quickly presses down a Cambodian player out of possession. (Image Courtesy: Screengrab/Hotstar)

In another instance in the first half (in the picture above), the youngster spotted the Cambodian forward reaching for a loose ball. Suresh quickly closed down the opponent, went into a strong challenge, came away with the ball and carried it up the field.

His work rate to go for the second ball and calmness on the ball allowed the Blue Tigers to keep recycling the ball and keep all the action in the opposition half. Another key takeaway from the former Indian Arrows midfielder's performance last night was his ability to maintain his discipline throughout the game.

Suresh fighting for the second ball even deep into the game. (Image Courtesy: Screengrab/Hotstar)

In the snippets above, even with the clock inching towards the final whistle, Suresh can be seen rushing into a clean challenge in the opposition half to break down Cambodia's transitional phase. That's what he did throughout the game, like clockwork.

Wangjam's control and finesse could very well be a flash in the pan, however, it's been some time since Indian football has even experienced that. Very few of the holding midfielders donning the national stripes have been capable of flaunting a much-needed calmness and composure on the ball.