The first game of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 proved to be less than ideal for the Indian Football Team. The Blue Tigers experienced a challenging start, facing an imposing 2-0 defeat against the 2015 champions, Australia. Goals from Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos secured the victory for Australia, placing them at the top of the Group B table. Nevertheless, the match served as an eye-opener for Igor Stimac and his team.
Disciplined performance
A disciplined performance was deemed necessary to contend with the 25th-ranked Australia, and the Blue Tigers maintained defensive discipline for the majority of the game, preventing Australia from penetrating inside the box more than a few times. In comparison to the 2011 performance, the team displayed improvement in every phase of the game. The team gained tremendous experience from this crucial game.
Defensive Dilemma: Centre-back Partnership
Indian Football Team defence showed strong resilience as they held onto the Socceroos’ pressure up until the 50th minute of the game. If Anwar were fit, he would have been a lock alongside Sandesh Jhingan in the heart of India’s defence. In his absence, Rahul Bheke stepped in however some miscalculated steps and tackles on his behalf caused some necessary woes for India, While Bheke-Jhingan seems likely, Stimac’s decisions can be unpredictable.
Midfield Dynamics: Apuia’s Partner and the Sahal Abdul Samad Void
Playing against Australia, ranked 25 in the FIFA ranking, is always a tough battle. At the same time, India knew it was also their moment of glory, a stepping stone towards achieving the dream of crossing swords with the best in the world. Apuia is an undisputed starter, excelling in ball retention. With Jeakson unavailable, Tangri did bring in the much-required physicality against a stronger Australia but lacked the ball-playing skills and finesse, Sahal’s absence however left an unfillable void in the midfield cutting off the supply for the front three.
Winger Conundrum and finishing woes
Lallianzuala Chhangte remained the brightest spot for India during the entirety of the game. His pace, agile movement and vision helped India to be on their toes. Manvir Singh showcased a commanding performance from the right wing, Renowned for his speed, Manvir’s physicality presented India with the option to retain possession in wide areas. This, in turn, created opportunities for center forward Chhetri, however, India failed to test Matt Ryan barring a chance in the 15th minute, when a well-placed skipper Sunil Chhetri failed to make the best use of a heading opportunity.
Full-back Fiasco: Bose’s Defense vs. Mishra’s Overlaps
Bose and Akash Mishra presented quite a dilemma. Mishra’s attacking prowess suits overlapping, while Bose’s defensive strength was something that was deemed useful against a highly physical Asutrali, however, Bose’ s reckless tackles added to India’s woes as they keep conceding unnecessary set pieces, which has always been a strong suit for Asutralia
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