Kyrgyz Republic vs India: 3 things we learned

India defeated the Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in their second and penultimate game of the Hero Tri-Nation series in Imphal, Manipur, on Tuesday (28 March). With this victory, India ensured itself of finishing the Tri-Nation series as the champions.

The hosts won their first and previous game against Myanmar 1-0. The Blue Tigers' opponents on Tuesday, the Kyrgyz Republic, had played out a 1-1 draw against Myanmar in their previous game.

India needed a draw to finish the series as champions while the Kyrgyz Republic needed a victory to take the title.

Igor Stimac fielded a side with most of the star players from the national team in the playing XI. The Kyrgyz Republic, though, were without four of its key players.

The match started with the Blue Tigers attacking and trying hard to score an early goal.

Brandon Fernandes saw his free kick in the 15th minute punched away firmly by Kyrgyz goalkeeper Tokotaev Erzhan.

The Kyrgyz Republic also tested the Blue Tigers' defense from time to time. Alexander Krestinin tried to implement various methods to break down the Blue Tigers' defense but wasn't successful in doing so.

India scored their first goal of the game in the 34th minute when Sandesh Jhingan slotted the ball into the back of the net from a Brandon Fernandes free kick.

It was a well-worked set-piece routine which saw Brandon and Sandesh have a short chat before the free kick was taken. Brandon played a perfectly lobbed pass to Jhingan, who made no mistake in slotting it past Erzhan at the near post.

The scoreboard at halftime read 1-0 in favor of the hosts.

Krestinin's side started the second half with a more attacking approach, but they also made a couple of changes and tried to score an equalizer.

The Kyrgyz Republic did manage to trouble the Indian defense during certain set pieces. But the Blue Tigers managed to hold their nerve and see through any threats that came their way.

Igor Stimac introduced Naorem Mahesh Singh early in the second half and the change gave India a different dimension up front. Mahesh troubled the Kyrgyz defense on numerous occasions and his link-up play with Sahal and Suresh in midfield was a treat to watch. Stimac handed Bengaluru FC midfielder Rohit Kumar a national team debut in the second half.

Mahesh was fouled inside the box in the 82nd minute and the referee made no mistake in awarding the penalty to the hosts.

Sunil Chhetri had no issues in converting from the spot and scoring his 85th international goal.

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The scoreboard at full-time read 2-0 in favor of the hosts. With the victory, India won the Hero Tri-Nation series. On that note, let's take a look at three things we learned from this game.

#3 India display one of their best performances on the pitch

It was a good performance by the Blue Tigers (Image courtesy: AIFF Media)

India fielded a very strong XI for Tuesday's game, probably the strongest XI that they could have turned out.

In the last game, Igor Stimac tried some experiments against a side that was lower-ranked compared to India. Today, he fielded his strongest unit against a side that is ranked higher than his in the FIFA rankings.

While the Kyrgyz Republic had more of the ball and also more shots, the Blue Tigers' defense managed to keep them at bay. The Kyrgyz team had just one shot on target during the entire course of the game.

They were forced to take shots from awkward places, which didn't trouble the host's defense much.

Stimac's side also managed to create some good openings, and the Blue Tigers had four shots on target.

The manager of the Indian team will hope his side can keep performing like this in the upcoming games this year.

#2 Naorem Mahesh Singh grabs eyeballs

Mahesh has been sensational this season (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

Mahesh personally had a fantastic season with East Bengal FC in the ISL and caught everyone's attention with his intelligent play and pinpoint crosses. He finished the season as the player with the second-highest number of assists this season. He was also the Indian player with the most number of assists - seven.

Naorem Mahesh Singh was a late inductee to Igor Stimac's squad and made his debut in the previous game against Myanmar, after he was introduced late in the second half.

Stimac praised the young Manipuri winger a lot for his performance in that game. As Stimac described it, he was "surprised" by Mahesh's performance and his ability to follow and execute orders "by the book."

Mahesh was introduced a bit early on in the second half in the game against the Kyrgyz Republic and it helped him express himself much more. Mahesh earned a penalty in the 82nd minute to help the hosts secure a victory. The way Mahesh has been playing this season, he is sure to be an asset for the national team.

#1 India showcases depth in midfield but options upfront remain few

Chhetri scored the second goal of the game (Image courtesy: ISL Media)

In this Tri-Nation series, India showcased that it possessed quality and depth in the midfield during the course of the tournament. Another area in which the Blue Tigers showed their depth was the centre-back position, with two different pairs of centre-backs playing in both games.

Igor Stimac didn't include Rowllin Borges and Apuia but still managed to show the vast potential the team had. The likes of Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Suresh Singh Wangjam, and Jeakson Singh, along with Sahal Abdul Samad were impressive.

Naorem Mahesh Singh, Bipin Singh, Chhangte, and Ritwik Das were used as wingers.

One area that has been a constant cause of concern for the national team has been the striking department. The Blue Tigers were over-reliant on Sunil Chhetri upfront in this tournament.

The national team needs to find a suitable replacement for Chhetri or else they will suffer in the upcoming games.