Rahul Bheke, who was opted as a centre-back against Curacao, operated through his orthodox right-back position. The 28-year-old struggled to cope up the attack of Thailand as they exploited the right side of Indian defence.
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The right-back was caught in no mans land often in the first half which forced Sandesh Jhingan or Adil Khan to do the spare work at the back. He is a terrific defender, but Bheke was not able to keep up with Thailand's pace.
He is also known for his attacking adriotness, but Stimac had asked his full-backs to not get exposed by leaving huge gap at the back while attacking. This had nullified Bheke's attacking threat, although there was no doubt that he was shambolic defensively.
Besides, not getting proper covering from Farukh, Bheke had many chances to get his basic defending right.
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About the author
Sudarshan
Sudarshan has been covering European and Indian football for Sportskeeda for
around 9 years. An Information Technology graduate and a post-graduate in International Business Operations, he has previously worked with Chennai Super Kings, Chennai City FC and the SunRisers Hyderabad handling their social media for OPN Advertising and Ting Labs. He has also travelled with the SunRisers for around 2 years, shooting content and interviewing stars such as David Warner, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jonny Bairstow.
An ardent Liverpool supporter since 2008, Sudarshan's favorite footballer is Steven Gerrard, who impressed with his unmatched leadership during the Reds' challenging periods. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp as the German's connection with fans and preference for high-intensity football resonates with him. Sudarshan aims to better analyze football matches by relying on websites like FotMob and DataMB and excels in swiftly covering breaking news events.
Mario Gotze's winner in the 2014 final is Sudarshan’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and believes that Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham could emerge as the successors to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he enjoys binge-watching movies, learning new skills to enhance his professional development, and participating in marathons.