The Indian football team resumed their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on a sour note as they lost 0-1 to Asian champions Qatar in Doha on Thursday. Abdulaziz Hatem scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute.
The Indian football team were reduced to 10 men after Rahul Bheke was sent off in the 17th minute. The referee had earlier cautioned Bheke with a yellow card but the defender handled the ball and received his second yellow.
The Indian football team will need to quickly forget the loss and prepare for their upcoming game against Bangladesh on Monday. On that note, here are the player ratings for the Indian football team.
Indian football team player ratings
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu - 9/10
Gurpreet was at the top of his game but was helpless when the Indian football team conceded. He was called right into action as early as the fifth minute when he had to palm away an inswinging ball. In the second half, the custodian made full use of his tall frame by keeping away shots from the Qatari players with his hands and feet.
Ashique Kuruniyan - 6/10
Ashique had trouble dealing with Qatar's right-wing players as they often attacked him and created several chances for the Asian champions. In the 25th minute, he lost his marker and it allowed Abdelkarim Hassan to have a free header from a corner. However, Ashique created a meaningful chance in the first half when he forayed forward on the overlap.
Subhasish Bose - 8/10
Bose was astute at the back on his international return and made some good clearances throughout the match.
Sandesh Jhingan - 9/10
Jhingan again produced a rock-solid performance as his sliding tackles and lunging blocks prevented Qatar from penetrating through the center.
Pritam Kotal - 7.5/10
Kotal marked Almoez Ali heavily but his role changed once Bheke was sent off. He seamlessly transitioned into the back-five and stopped the Qatari attackers on a couple of occasions, forcing them to take long-range shots.
Rahul Bheke - 4/10
Bheke was careless to receive his second yellow card as his arm was in an unnatural position. Earlier, he shoved a Qatari player from behind and was shown his first yellow card.
Glan Martins - 9/10
Martins had a memorable international debut as he didn't buckle under pressure and perfected his duties. Deployed at the center of the park, he marked two Qatari midfielders and made some crucial interceptions.
Suresh Wangjam - 7/10
Wangjam was everywhere on the pitch in the first half as he had to cover up for Ashique's mistakes and take up Bheke's position after he got sent off. He returned to his original position only after Udanta Singh's inclusion.
Bipin Singh - 7/10
Playing against Qatar, Bipin performed well in the limited time he ventured forward. However, he lacked the requisite chemistry with Sunil Chhetri and Manvir Singh.
Sunil Chhetri - 7/10
Chhetri had a decent first half that ended with him creating a golden opportunity for Manvir Singh. However, his stint came to an abrupt end as he was sacrificed to make way for Udanta Singh.
Manvir Singh - 6/10
Manvir was presented with a couple of glorious chances, however, he was out of position and failed to connect with the ball on both ocassions.
Udanta Singh - 6/10
Udanta occupied the right wing-back position in the second half. However, the Qatari players cut past him to take some shots.
Lalengmawia - 7/10
Lalengmawia replaced a tired Glan Martins and gave a good account of himself. His brilliant positioning helped the Indian football team win back possession several times.
Akash Mishra - 7/10
Akash wasn't so involved in action after coming on the pitch as Qatar directed their attacks mainly through the opposite flank.
Sahal Abdul Samad - 7.5/10
Sahal made his mark on the field immediately by dribbling past two Qatari players. However, the Indian football team couldn't capitalize on his footwork as he had little time to show his worth.
Liston Colaco - 5/10
Colaco had just one touch of the ball after coming in and it ended with the team losing possession.