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After a poor showing in the goalless draw against Nepal, India now come up against the mighty Iran side in the third round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup & 2019 Asian Cup joint qualifier in Bengaluru on the 8th September 2015. India have their work cut out against the best ranked Asian team in Iran and will have to be at their historic best to get anything from the game despite enjoying the home advantage.As we build to this massive game at the Sree Kanteerva Stadium in Bengaluru, we take a look at five Indian players to watch out for against Iran on Tuesday, as these could be the men at the thick of the things if India manages to pull off a major upset.
#1 Sandesh Jhingan
The towering Indian centre back made a return to the National side after recovering from an injury against Nepal and looked fairly solid barring a few fragile moments. Jhingan is a leader and will be vested with the responsibility to lead and organize India's back line which is expected to put under severe pressure by the Iranians.
Being an extremely well built and tall defender, Jhingan's aerial prowess will be crucial for India against a much bigger side that Iran are. In addition, Jhingan has been India's best defender in the past year or so and looked at home even after returning from injury against Nepal.
Hence, if the Sporting Club de Goa defender has a good game, it’s likely that he will get his fellow defenders performing. With a rearguard action on the cards for India against Iran, Sandesh Jhingan will be India's go-to man to tame one of the fiercest attacks in Asian football.
#2 Dhanpal Ganesh
Having made his debut in the pre-qualifying 0-0 draw with Nepal earlier this year, Dhanpal Ganesh has slowly assumed a greater role in Stephan Constantine’s setup. Dhanpal has appeared in each of the qualifying games so far and has looked a better alternative to a struggling Sehnaj Singh in the middle of the park.
But Dhanpal Ganesh found an altogether new role when coach Stephan Constantine decided to ring the changes in the most recent friendly game against Nepal as the Pune FC midfielder found a place in Constantine's starting line-up but as a centre back partnering Sandesh Jhingan. Dhanpal Ganesh backed his selection ahead of Arnab Mondal and Dhanachandra Singh with a solid display in defence.
It will be interesting to see how Stephan Constantine uses Ganesh against Iran. He may retain him in defence after Pronay Halder had a good game in the defensive midfield position or may restore him in midfield to provide more protection against the Iranian attackers. Either ways it seems Dhanpal Ganesh will be involved and will have a big role to play for India against Iran. Whether or not he can be Constantine’s trump card, only time will tell.
#3 Eugeneson Lyngdoh
One of the finds of the I-League last season, Eugeneson has cemented his place in the Indian side and represents India's best creative force through the middle. Lyngdoh impressed against Nepal and was at the heart of the two best moves which India created against Nepal. He looked the most likely player to unlock a stubborn Nepal defense and troubled their defence line with some incisive passes.
But it will be an altogether different ball game for Lyngdoh against Iran and will hardly get touches in the game, unlike Nepal. The Bengaluru FC midfielder will have to be at his very best and look to feed the likes of Chhetri and Robin at every opportunity that comes his way.
India will be relying on him to make that killer pass to open up the Iranian defence. But apart from the creative aspect, Lyngdoh's biggest test will be what he does without the ball and help his team out in plugging the gaps in midfield. This game is an acid test for the new FC Pune City recruit and will tell us more about what he is actually capable of.
#4 Robin Singh
Robin Singh has come under heavy scrutiny after a series of lacklustre displays in recent times and his obvious lack of goals which saw him dropped to the bench for his club side Bengaluru FC. Starting as a lone striker in the 0-0 draw against Nepal, little changed for the powerful striker, but he looked up for the task as he showed great appetite for the game and toiled tirelessly for the entire game.
With Robin Singh seeming to be the only option to play upfront for Constantine against a physically superior Iran side, Singh's work rate and retention of the ball could be very handy for India to disrupt Iran's play high up the pitch. But eventually being a striker, Singh will need to have his scoring boots on as he won’t be getting a second chance against Iran.
After being unlucky at times in previous qualifiers, Tuesday might just be Robin Singh's day as he bids to get back to his devastating best. With the new legendary Delhi Dynamos coach, watching him with keen interest, there couldn’t be a better time to fire for Robin Singh.
#5 Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri is currently the greatest footballing icon in the country. Sunil Chhetri will once again be the man for India to get the goals. Having already all the goals for India in the qualifiers so far, Chhetri represents the biggest threat to the Iranians.
Sunil Chhetri is India's big game player and is known to keep his best for games like these. Interestingly, the 31-year-old had an evening to forget as India were held to a draw at home by Nepal last week. Chhetri missed a sitter late in the first half and couldn’t get it out of his system for the rest of the game as he cut a frustrated figure for most of the evening.
But the player who was sold for Rs. 1.05 crores will be expected to leave past disappointments behind and start afresh against Iran. More than the forward, India will be needing the leader in Chhetri to come to the fore and guide his side during tough patches of the game. India's hopes are attached to the form of the footballing super star and will be hoping he comes good once again when it matters the most.
