New Delhi: Injury-plagued India face a litmus test of character to stay on course for their title defence in the Nehru Cup international football tournament when they take on Kyrgyzstan in a crucial round-robin match here on Saturday.
India began their campaign with a 0-1 loss to Lebanon and Bob Houghton's boys need no less than a win in tomorrow's fixture at Ambedkar Stadium under floodlights.
A draw against Kyrgyzstan, ranked four places down India at 160th in the FIFA chart, may still not send Bhaichung Bhutia-led side out of the five-team competition but the hosts fate would then hang on other teams hand as they play Sri Lanka on August 25 and Syria on August 28.
The rub of the green might not have favoured India against Lebanon but now Houghton and his boys will have to shrug off whatever psychological after-effects of that match or else face criticism after having an expensive six-week foreign training tour of Dubai and Spain.
Houghton's reasoning that the heavy grass on the pitch gave the physically superior Lebanese an advantage might carry some weight but what he did not say at the post-match press conference was that none of his boys rose to the occasion on that day.
It was not that the Indians did not have their chances. They had enough of them to walk away with full points but they could not utilise the opportunities that came their way while the Lebanese did not have any clear chance than the set piece from which they scored.
Houghton's main problem tomorrow will be how to re-jig the defence as left back NS Manju has been ruled out of the tournament while central defender Anwar is unlikely to play. With Sameer Naik still not fully fit, Mahesh Gawli is likely to be fitted into the left-back position as has been done in the second half of the Lebanon match while Anwar's place can be taken by Mehrajuddin Wadoo.
Gouramangi Singh and Surkumar Singh, both of whom had an ordinary day against Lebanon, are likely to retain their places in the playing eleven.
With the Ambedkar Stadium grass cut down, midfield duo of Climax Lawrence and NP Pradeep, who had long range attempts too many against Lebanon, should be able to set up the strikers led by skipper Bhutia ample opportunities to have a crack at the Kyrgyz goal.
More than India's final berth at stake, tomorrow's match is also important from the point of view of crowd presence as only a win for the hosts can ensure a full crowd at the 20,00 capacity Ambedkar Stadium, which was filled up to half on the first day during India's tournament opener.
Kyrgyzstan would also be looking to pull up their socks as after their 0-2 loss to Syria as another defeat means they will out of reckoning for a final berth.
Kyrgyz coach Ormombi Kov Anarbik was unperturbed about taking on the hosts and said they would play their normal game against the Indians.
"India are a good side. They play fast game from what I saw in the match against Lebanon. But we have nothing to lose and we will play our normal game," he said after his side's 0-2 loss against Syria last night.
The young Kyrgyzstan team would not be lacking in effort but their problem against Syria was the gap between the strikers and midfield when attacking. Many a times, their forwards found themselves alone inside the box.
The Teams:
India (from): Subrata Pal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Anwar, Deepak Mondal, Mahesh Gawli, Surkumar Singh, Gouramangi Singh, Samir Naik, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, NP Pradeep, P Renedy Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Steven Dias, Anthony Pereira, Climax Lawrence, Sunil Chhetri, Bhaichung Bhutia (C), Sushil Kumar Singh, Abhishek Yadav.
Kyrgyzstan (from): Mahash Pavel, Chikishev Sergey, Kasiah Vladimir, Zakirov Rustamjan, Abitov Iladar, Zemlianuhin Abitov, Mirzaliev Almazbek, Kaleutin Sergey, Murlaev Mirlan, Askarov Davron, Harchenko Vladim, Bokoev Aibek (C), Agapov Maksim, Amirov Ildar, Shamsiev Islam, Sidorenko Pavel, Muladjanov Artem, Usanov Rustem.