3 reasons why India lost to Australia in the AFC Asian Cup 2023

Facing a team of Australia’s caliber certainly posed a massive challenge, but India, despite suffering a 2-0 defeat, showed their mettle in their opening fixture of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.

Igor Stimac’s decision to adopt a compact structure and draw Australia in proved effective as India frustrated the Socceroos in the first half. The defensive efforts were resilient, with players throwing their bodies on the line to prevent the goal until Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s costly mistake granted the 2015 champions a crucial lead.

From there, it was always going to be difficult for India to recover, given that Australia had complete control of the game, dominating possession and creating several clear-cut chances; and with 17 minutes of regulation time remaining, they put the game to bed through Jordan Bos.

While Gurpreet’s error undid much of India’s hard work, Australia’s scoring appeared inevitable, as they consistently breached India’s defense throughout the match.

Despite the Blue Tigers’ praiseworthy performance, they have started their AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign with yet another defeat.

On that note, let’s delve into three reasons why Australia emerged victorious against a resolute Indian side.

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#1 Lack of composure with the ball

Ahead of the game, it was widely anticipated that Australia would dominate possession and control territory.

Nonetheless, India had players capable of posing problems on the counterattack. With the likes of Manvir Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and Sunil Chhetri, the Blue Tigers had the speed, physical prowess, and potential to create opportunities.

While India displayed defensive solidity, their ability to progress the ball was notably lacking, as they struggled to string even five passes together. The team appeared disorganized when Australia pressed, lacking clear patterns to advance the ball and involve the front three in the game.

(Image Credits: asianfootball.org/@BeGriffis)

The root cause of this issue lies in the lack of composure in possession by the defenders and midfielders. As a result, Australia enjoyed a staggering 71 percent possession and attempted 28 shots, compared to India’s four.

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#2 Struggles to deal with Australia’s physicality

It is fair to say that there has been significant progress in India’s physicality since Igor Stimac arrived in 2019. However, the disparity in the physical aspect between the Blue Tigers and Asia’s top-tier nations remains substantial.

The likes of Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, and Nikhil Poojary, alongside Deepak Tangri, managed this aspect effectively. But India’s attackers, except Chhangte, struggled to match Australia’s defenders. They were consistently outpaced and outmuscled, which resulted in losing the ball and enabling Graham Arnold’s men to regain control.

India did start the game strongly in terms of duels and second balls. However, as the match progressed, the Socceroos dominated every duel, re-establishing their overall dominance.

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#3 Difference in quality of substitutes

While Gurpreet’s error got the attention, the true catalyst for Australia’s success lay in the effectiveness of their substitutes. Following a tough first half, Arnold brought in Samuel Silvera, Riley McGree, and Jordan Bos around the hour mark.

The impact was immediate, with their pace and trickery causing considerable difficulties for India’s tired defenders. It was the substitutes who combined to extend Australia’s lead, as McGree wriggled past Bose with ease before setting up Bos in the six-yard box.

In contrast, Igor Stimac only made substitutions in the 75th minute after Australia scored twice. The likes of Liston Colaco, Mishra, and Anirudh Thapa had little impact on the game.

While it’s fair to acknowledge India’s limited options due to injuries, Australia’s substitutes undeniably changed the course of the game, unlike India’s substitutes.