Intercontinental Cup 2019: India 2-4 Tajikistan | 3 Reasons why the Blue Tigers lost  

#2 Poor communication in defence

Rahul Bheke

Igor Stimac's first victory as the Indian coach came against Thailand in the King's Cup, which showcased a perfect defensive display. Sandesh Jhingan and Adil Khan had combined forces to be an impressive wall in front of the keeper. However, Adil missed his partner on the field against Tajikistan. As a replacement, the gaffer chose young Narender Gahlot, who failed to meet his objectives.

While Adil Khan was up to the mark in the first half, Gahlot was troubled right from the beginning. The Jamshedpur FC defender's inexperience was well exploited by the Tajik attackers. India's downfall began in the second half when Adil failed to communicate with his partner. This pulled down the stopper's confidence which led to numerous costly errors. These mistakes were evident as the defence line failed to mark and restrict the opponents in the defensive third.

Rahul Bheke and Mandar Rao Dessai too didn't have the best of outings as both were regularly targeted by the Tajikistan midfielders. Mandar was placed at an advanced position from the defence line. Bheke's wing was attacked constantly, which resulted in back-to-back corners.