Ratings: Deepak Tangri, Sandesh Jhingan stand tall as India go toe-to-toe against Australia in AFC Asian Cup 2023

Irvine, Bos made the difference between the two teams.

The Indian football team suffered a defeat in their opening match against Australia in their inaugural 2023 AFC Asian Cup at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Doha on Saturday. Australia emerged victorious with a two-goal lead, while India failed to secure any goals during the match.

The first half of the match concluded without any goals being scored. However, in the second half, Jackson Irvine found the back of the net in the 50th minute, securing the lead for Australia. Shortly after, substitute Jordan Bos scored the second goal of the match in the 73rd minute, ultimately leading their team to victory with the same score line.

India (by Rutvij Joshi)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 6

Gurpreet did his job perfectly apart from a howler in the first half which nearly resulted in a goal in first half & was at fault for the first goal.

Nikhil Poojary – 7

Nikhil did his job very well and like every other player gave his everything on the pitch. He created a chance offensively in the first half, however Chhetri unfortunately sent it wide. He could have cleared the ball in Australia’s first goal.

🎥 HIGHLIGHTS | 🇦🇺 Australia 2️⃣-0️⃣ India 🇮🇳Australia deliver a commanding performance in their Group B opener, clinching the victory!Match Report 🔗 https://t.co/14kxALesGm#AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/B7q2TqKlbK

— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) January 13, 2024

Sandesh Jhingan -7.5

Sandesh marshaled his troops in defense and gave his blood and sweat for the team. He man marked Harry Souttar in the set pieces and did not give an inch.

Rahul Bheke – 6

Rahul Bheke stood tall as a brick and thwarted every ball which came his way.  He also aided long passes in a bid to release the pressure.

Subhasish Bose – 6

Bose was alert and pragmatic on the left. His timely tackles and good positioning meant Australia couldn’t penetrate in.

Apuia – 6

Apuia was confined in India’s box for majority of the time marking the lanky Aussies. 

Deepak Tangri – 7.5

Deepak Tangri selection  was a big call  by Igor Stimac before the game and he proved his worth. He made sure he helped out the defense. He was one of the best players for the Blue Tigers today.

Suresh Wangjam – 6.5

Suresh played very swift passes in the midfield and was very calm when he had the ball. Suresh did not put a foot wrong.

Lallianzuala Chhangte – 6.5

Chhangte was lively in the first half in offensive and defensive transitions. He gave two decent crosses for Sunil Chhetri which did not result anything for India.

Manvir Singh – 5

Manvir did a lot of off the ball running and was seemingly looking tired and he was not at his best during the second half.

Sunil Chhetri – 6

Sunil had 2 good offensive moments and he squandered both the chances. Defensively he cleared 3 corners for India.

Substitutions

Akash Mishra – 5

Akash had very little to do in the game and was there defending for the team

Liston Colaco – 5

Liston Colaco was brought in to provide the pace and width in attack. In reality , he was helping out the defense. 

Anirudh Thapa – 4.5

Anirudh Thapa was bought in to dictate the tempo but offensively he couldn’t generate spaces to penetrate the ball in. He also made silly errors which would have cost India.

Mahesh Naorem : N/A

Vikram Partap Singh: N/A

Australia (By Gourav Samal)

Mathew Ryan – 7.5

Mathew Ryan was under constant threat near the goal, but he remained composed and collected whenever he was put to the test, handling the ball with great skill.

Gethin Jones – 7

Jones faced difficulties at the beginning of the first half due to Chhangte’s performance, but he demonstrated notable improvement in the second half.

Harry Souttar – 7

The prominent player had a rather subdued performance in comparison to his usual standard, despite displaying some moments of skill on the field. A better performance could have been expected from him.

Kye Rowles – 7.5

Rowles continued to sprint tirelessly on the field, preempting any potential opportunities generated by the Indian players throughout the game.

Aziz Behich – 7

Aziz faced fewer threats towards the end, despite encountering some challenges in the first half. The second half did not appear to present any significant difficulties.

Keanu Baccus – 8

Baccus demonstrated complete dominance in the midfield, consistently initiating and creating scoring opportunities for his team. Additionally, he availed himself of opportunities to take shots on goal.

Jackson Irvine – 8

The opening goal of the game was netted by Irvine in the 50th minute, providing Australia with a crucial lead in the match.

Martin Boyle – 6.5

Boyle exuded confidence throughout his time on the field and performed exceptionally well in the right flank, particularly during the first half.

Connor Metcalfe – 7.5

Connor had several opportunities in the midfield and attempted several shots on goal, but regrettably failed to find the back of the net on any occasion.

Craig Goodwin – 7

Goodwin seemed a bit disconnected with his execution in the initial half, but he elevated his performance in the second half.

Mitchell Duke – 7.5

Mitchell Duke was a total menace up front. He never held back when it came to going on the attack.

Substitutions

Samuel Silvera – 6.5

Silvera substituted Marin Boyle in the 63rd minute of the match. His performance during his time on the field was commendable.

Riley Mcgree – 7

The substitute delivered a splendid assist to Jordan Bos, enabling the team to secure the second goal of the match and take the lead with a stronger advantage.

Jordan Bos – 7.5

Jordan was substituted for Craig Goodwin in the 72nd minute and proceeded to score the second goal of the match in the 73rd minute.

Bruno Fornaroli – 7

Fornaroli, after entering the match as a substitute, delivered an exceptional performance in the midfield and effectively bolstered Australia’s offensive efforts with his presence.

Aiden O’Neill – N/A

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