It was India's first game in front of fans in three years, but the story was a very familiar one. Sunil Chhetri scored twice, India won 2-0, the opposition this time Cambodia. That result means India sit atop Group D after the opening round of fixtures of the Asian Cup qualifiers, with Hong Kong second having beaten Afghanistan earlier in the day.
Ahead of the game, Chhetri had said, "I want to qualify. If I'm not there, my country will be there." On the back of this display, the 37-year-old will very much be there if India qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Igor Stimac's starting XI surprised many, with a bold, young, attacking lineup but it was the veteran striker who proved there was life in the old tiger still - with the deciding goals.
A delay in Cambodia's national anthem ahead of the game got the visitors a bit charged up, but India's dominance in possession meant any fires were unlikely to be stoked. India's use of attacking fullbacks saw the team looking quite balanced, although Cambodia's formation, with a two-man attack and a back five, meant there was precious little to trouble the spaces left empty by both Akash Mishra and Roshan Singh roaming forward.
Liston Colaco fashioned India's first real chance, as his tricky feet saw him dribble past Ken Chansopheak and Choun Chanchav to make his way into the box. A sliding tackle from Boris Kok was adjudged to have taken him out, with the referee having no doubt in pointing to the penalty spot. Even if his teammate who earned the penalty had never scored in an Indian jersey, there was no doubt that Chhetri would be stepping up to take it.
Goalkeeper Hul Kimhuy guessed the right way, but Chhetri had placed it perfectly in the corner, and there was no saving it. India were 1-0 up in the 13th minute. Having settled their nerves with the lead, they then settled into a spell of anemic possession, offering little threat apart from Roshan cutting inside onto his left and shooting waywardly multiple times. Chhetri himself miskicked a cross from Mishra on the half-hour mark.
Cambodia, meanwhile, were pedestrian in their transition into attack, with Sandesh Jhingan and Anwar Ali mopping up with ease as Sieng Chanthea and Keo Sokpheng fed on scraps.
At half time, Sahal Abdul Samad and Udanta Singh replaced Anirudh Thapa and Manveer Singh, as Igor Stimac attempted to inject more energy into his side.
The substitutions did little to change the pattern of the game, though. India looked blunt creatively, with Cambodia barely offering any opposition. It was a set-piece that allowed India to score once more, with Brandon Fernandes taking a short corner, before spying Chhetri's decoy run to the far post. A delicious, ball floated right to the Indian captain's head - and he cushioned his header right into the top corner to double India's lead on the hour mark.
The heat and humidity continued to sap energy levels, although there was that 37-yr-old striker leading the press right until his substitution with 20 minutes to go. The game was well and truly won by then, India opting against expending more energy. Aashique Kuruniyan went close in the final minutes, drawing an excellent save from Kimhuy, as the game eventually petered out.
��️ @chetrisunil11: 3️⃣ points against ���� set the tone for ���� in the #AsianCup2023 �� Qualifiers ��#INDCAM ⚔️ #AsianCup2023 �� #BlueTigers �� #BackTheBlue �� #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/AZBT1NCzzC
- Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 8, 2022
There was joy in the stands, but the Indian players seemed not as joyful in their post-match interviews. "We kept a clean sheet, but could have done better. I don't want to be harsh... it was very humid and we couldn't keep the tempo up. We should have got more goals, but overall, it feels good," said Chhetri after the game. He alluded to his age as an excuse for his 'glass-half-empty' view of the game, but it's precisely that attitude that is ever more precious for Stimac as he chases qualification. Chhetri's powers have waned with age, but this sort of display only underlines that India simply do not have his replacement yet.
After all, how can one even think of a replacement for a man who now sits four behind Lionel Messi and two behind Ferenc Puskas on the leading international goalscorers' list with 82 goals - when India's best attacking prospect has yet to even score for the nation? What will happen when India takes on Afghanistan and Hong Kong, who possess better players than Cambodia? What happens when the defence is tested? These are concerning questions for another day, another game. Tonight, if you're an Indian fan, you sleep assured knowing that you've "got Sunil, Sunil Chhetri." Everyone most definitely understands.