An overcast sky over Salt Lake Stadium mirrored the sullen temper within the Indian camp as their talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri laced up his boots for one last time within the World Cup qualifier towards Kuwait – a match that finally resulted in 0-0, with India’s dream of qualifying for the following spherical getting even more durable to grasp.
Because the departing skipper stepped onto the bottom for warm-up an hour earlier than the match, the steadily-filling stadium roared its approval. Chhetri, on his half, acknowledged the cheers earlier than becoming a member of his teammates for the apply drills.
Regardless that Chhetri had mentioned the day earlier than the match that of extra significance was India’s likelihood to qualify for the third spherical of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, one thing that hadn’t been accomplished within the nation’s historical past, the magnitude of the skipper’s swansong was felt by way of the gang assembled to offer him a last farewell.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 🫡🫶#SunilChhetri #IndianFootball #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/oIseyjdpno
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) June 6, 2024
However as Dinesh Karthik had mentioned in a current video after his retirement after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s elimination from this 12 months’s Indian Premier League,“ In sport, there are not any fairytale endings,” Chhetri’s final match for the Blue Tigers ended with India going additional away from the aim of qualifying for the following spherical.
The feelings that he stored from effervescent over all today, got here out within the type of tears because the Indian gamers gave him a guard of honour as Chhetri took the ultimate stroll from the sector into the locker room. The curtains fell for among the finest strikers of the nation who rode off into the sundown with 94 targets in 151 matches.
India began with a 4-3-3 formation with Jay Gupta making his senior crew debut rather than veteran Subhasish Bose within the centre of defence alongside Anwar Ali, Rahul Bheke and Nikhil Poojary. The back-4 was instantly put underneath stress by Kuwait, taking part in with out winger Shabaib Al-Khaldi, with Eid Al-Rashedi leaving Poojary in his wake and sending an ideal by way of ball to Mohammad Daham, just for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to make a superb save within the 4th minute of the match.
The magnitude of the skipper’s swansong was felt by way of the gang assembled to offer him a last farewell. (Categorical photograph by Partha Paul)
Kuwait would preserve threatening with their dynamic wing play whereas the gang cheered even the essential saves made by the Indian goalkeeper as India slowly and steadily tried to develop into the match. A greatest instance of India’s attacking prowess got here within the eleventh minute when a decided run by Liston Colaco resulted in a nook, just for Anwar Ali to move excessive from the following set piece.
Lack of high quality
Possibilities can be uncommon going ahead as Kuwait dominated the midfield for a lot of the first half with India’s lack of ball management and lack of ability to maintain possession within the center taking part in to their detriment. India would solely rely upon counters and occasional luck with debutant Gupta spraying in a low cross in the direction of Abdul Sahal, which was ultimately cleared. Sahal would get one other likelihood within the twenty ninth minute however his shot was blocked with Colaco’s rebound solely grazing the aspect netting.
IN PICS: Sunil Chhetri in tears after last match for India ends in a 0-0 draw vs Kuwait
The person of the second Chhetri couldn’t get a correct sniff within the first half, floating contained in the opposition penalty field however let down by his teammates, who couldn’t feed the ball to him in an opportune place, with Kuwait clearly being the happier aspect at half time.
India switched into attacking mode within the second half with Rahim Ali and Brandon Fernandes coming in for Sahal and Anirudh Thapa. Chhetri was now taking part in behind the striker with Suresh Singh Wangjam being the lone central defensive midfielder. It virtually paid dividends with Fernandes taking part in a by way of ball to Ali, who evaded his defender however solely hit the goalkeeper as India witnessed first-hand what their future would seem like after Chhetri.
India seemed significantly better within the second interval with the substitutes, particularly Ali, dictating play with neither crew having a transparent edge. Manvir Singh can be launched within the seventieth minute rather than a spent Colaco.
There have been 7 minutes added which noticed a mini-brawl with a number of gamers of each groups concerned.
India now stare at an unsure future with out their most embellished striker with numerous permutations and mixtures in play to maintain them mathematically within the hunt for the third spherical of qualifiers. India now have 5 factors with a recreation in hand and must take a look at the outcomes of the remaining matches with their destiny out of their palms.