Is Sahal-Amarjit the midfield partnership Indian football team desperately needs?

The duo has impressed under the new regime with solid performances since their debuts.

Igor Stimac has used plenty of midfield combinations since he took over the mantle of the head coach’s post of the Indian national team. He has been in-charge of four games till now and has made a myriad of personnel changes in order to find the perfect combination. The most rotation has been observed in midfield positions, which has somewhat caused negative results in the process.

The defeats to Tajikistan and especially DPR Korea were largely due to a lack of synergy between the players in the heart of the midfield. The losses have resulted in India being knocked out of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019 and hopefully by now, the tactician is nearer to finding an ideal midfield combination for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Of all the players that have been tested and experimented with in the central role, the outright most decent performers have been Sahal Abdul Samad and Amarjit Singh Kiyam, who are making a good case for earning a regular starting position under the new tactician. They are by far the best partnership the Indian squad has right now and the first half against Tajikistan stands as a testament to that fact.

Watch: Igor Stimac's press conference following India's defeat against DPR Korea

Against Tajikistan, while the duo were on the pitch, India played a fluid, passing game which enabled them to dominate the midfield and go on a two-goal advantage before the first half whistle. However, the substitution of Amarjit exposed the midfield and led to gaps which were duly exploited by the opposition. This is the reason why the two young midfielders perform better together. Vinit Rai, who replaced Amarjit is a different and more advanced player. His introduction led to Sahal shifting into a more deeper role which made him ineffective.

The differing qualities of the players compliment each other and bring out the best from both individuals. While Sahal contributes with his exquisite ball control and passing in the open channels, Amarjit provides him the perfect cover with his tenacity and ball-winning quickness. The former Indian Arrows captain is a brilliant tackler and gives Sahal the freedom to showcase his talents further forward.

When India performed much better in the second half against DPR Korea, it was down to the fact that Amarjit was a different beast when Sahal entered into the fray. He looked more composed on the ball and there was a better understanding of the role that each individual had to perform. Paired with Anirudh Thapa, the midfield had more stability, attacking intent and overall a better shape.

Players like Brandon Fernandes and Rowlin Borges are yet to impress and left a lot to be desired when they took the field for the national team. While it is still a transitional phase for the Blue Tigers, it is becoming more apparent with every game that the Sahal-Amarjit duo make the whole team click.

Furthermore, the two players in question are very young. Sahal Abdul Samad was recently awarded the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year at 22 and is an important figure for Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League. On the other hand, Amarjit is only 18-years-old and has established himself as one of the most sought after midfielders in the country. The Jamshedpur FC player can make the defensive midfield role his own for years to come.

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Stimac, after his first game in-charge against Curacao in the King’s Cup was full of praise for Amarjit, who was given his debut by the new boss. He said, “I'm really impressed with how he looks on the pitch and how mature he looks with respect to his age. The way he plays is something which gives us hope."

With every passing fixture, the duo of Sahal-Amarjit are becoming more and more indispensable to the Indian team. Paired with the charismatic Thapa, the trio are a more fierce-looking unit which can execute the Croatian’s plans to the letter. The 51-year-old tactician must look towards the above three players as regular starters ahead of their final fixture of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019 against Syria and the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers beyond.