India 2-4 Malaysia: Player ratings for the Blue Tigers as they suffer a crushing defeat

Malaysia secured a remarkable 4-2 victory over India in the semi-finals of the 2023 Merdeka Tournament at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The Blue Tigers started on the front foot, with Sahal Abdul Samad striking the post within two minutes, but it was the hosts who took an early lead. Sandesh Jhingan’s miscued clearance from a corner situation fell straight to Dion Cools, whose powerful volley found the back of the net.

However, India quickly responded, leveling the proceedings within six minutes of the goal. Chhantge, Sahal, and Mahesh Singh orchestrated a brilliant move before Mahesh Singh's thunderous volley beat the Malaysian custodian.

The end-to-end game saw another goal within the first 20 minutes, this time from a penalty spot. Nikhil Poojary was deemed to have fouled Darren Lok in the penalty box, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The in-form Arif Aiman confidently stepped up and calmly converted the penalty.

Malaysia’s relentless pressing created difficulties for India, and they capitalized on their struggles by scoring their third goal just before the half-time whistle. Aiman intercepted Mahesh Singh's poor pass and set up Faisal Halim, who confidently found the net to make it 3-1 at half-time.

Igor Stimac’s men started the second half with a renewed intent and they were rewarded for their efforts in the 52nd minute. Sunil Chhetri was once again in the right place at the right time to score the goal after Mahesh Singh and Chhangte linked up brilliantly.

India continued to push for their third goal and seemingly had the ball in the back of the net, only for the referee to disallow the goal. Malaysia capitalized on their luck and scored their fourth goal around the hour mark, with La’Vere Corbin-Ong scoring his first goal of the evening.

After the goal, Malaysia moved into a defensive shape and restricted the space in midfield. Their resolute defense enabled them to secure a 4-2 victory and clinch their spot in the finals, where they are set to go up against Tajikistan on October 17.

On that note, let's take a look at how the Blue Tigers fared against Malaysia.

India Player Ratings

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu [5/10]

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had no noteworthy saves to make and was not at fault for any of the four goals India conceded. However, he would have been disappointed by the performance of the defense in front of him.

Nikhil Poojary [3/10]

Poojary struggled to defend against Faisal and Rashid, with the wingers frequently getting the better of him. His unnecessary foul resulted in a penalty for Malaysia, allowing them to net their second goal of the match. On the offensive front, he struggled to produce anything significant.

Sandesh Jhingan [4/10]

Jhingan was certainly not at his best today. Darren Lok and Arif Aiman appeared to have a physical and technical edge over him. Furthermore, his poor clearance directly contributed to Dion Cools' opening goal of the game.

Mehtab Singh [4/10]

Like his center-back partner, Mehtab found himself frequently outplayed by Malaysia's forwards, who consistently exploited his side. Mehtab's ability to maintain composure on the ball was lacking, and his difficulties in both and out of possession were evident.

Akash Mishra [5/10]

Mishra was excellent going forward, as he provided an outlet for the Blue Tigers when they looked to play out from the back. However, he was constantly exposed at the back, and as a result, faced difficulties when dealing with the dangerous Aiman on the counter-attack.

Suresh Singh Wangjam [6.5/10]

Suresh Singh kept the play moving and covered a lot of ground in midfield. His ability to retain possession and distribute the ball played a pivotal role in helping India navigate through Malaysia's relentless high-pressing situations.

Rohit Kumar [4/10]

Rohit Kumar put in a decent shift but was largely an anonymous presence in the middle of the park when India looked to attack Malaysia.

Sahal Abdul Samad [6/10]

Sahal appeared to pose huge problems for Malaysia in the early stages, as his stunning volley hit the post in the second minute. He also assisted Mahesh Singh’s goal with a delightful flick. However, his influence fiddled away as the game progressed and he was guilty of losing possession multiple times.

Lalliazuala Chhangte [7/10]

Chhangte had a quiet game by his standards in the first half. While he had his moments with the ball, he was largely doubled up on the flanks, and as a result, struggled to make any meaningful impact.

Nevertheless, he improved his performance in the second half, setting up Chhetri for India’s second goal, and immediately found the back of the net to level the proceedings, only for the referee to disallow the goal.

Naorem Mahesh Singh [9/10]

Mahesh Singh undoubtedly emerged as India's standout attacker in the game. He started with a remarkable goal and consistently delivered excellent crosses into the penalty box, one of which directly contributed to India's second goal as well.

His influence on the national team is on the rise, and he will aim to sustain this impressive momentum.

Sunil Chhetri [7/10]

Chhetri was largely anonymous in the first half, as Malaysia dominated the proceedings. However, as India improved their intensity, Chhetri was inevitably on the scoresheet, netting India's second goal of the evening and marking his 93rd goal for the national team.

Substitutes

Liston Colaco [7/10]

Colaco replaced Chhetri and was a lively presence when he came onto the pitch. While he didn’t create anything of significance, his movement and dribbling ability certainly posed problems for Malaysia.

Naorem Roshan Singh [6/10]

Roshan Singh stepped in for Mishra and was largely solid at the back. While he did well defensively, his passes in the final third lacked precision, particularly as India pushed for goals.

Nandhakumar Sekar [N/A]

Arrived too late to make an impact.

Udanta Singh [N/A]

Arrived too late to make an impact.