India have produced almost all shades of football in their first two matches in the ongoing AFC Challenge Cup in Hyderabad.

By Supriyo Goswami

If they have to make it to the last four it becomes essential for them to display consistency, not only in their approach but also in their mindset, any slip in concentration and Turkmenistan will punish them.

The hosts started brilliantly in their first match against Afghanistan but after a mere 25 minutes one got the impression that a different outfit was occupying the turf. Certain selections such as Bungo Singh got exposed and the likes of Deepak Mondol were thoroughly outplayed. The pressure soon mounted and had it not been for the brilliance of custodian Subrato Paul, India could well have conceded the lead in the first half itself. Climax Lawrence provided the perfect finish in injury time and India had three points in the bag. What was so disappointing was the manner in which India's coach Bob Houghton reacted, despite a less than ordinary performance, the Indian coach was satisfied with the way his lads had turned up.

The fact that India had floundered in their opening encounter become evident when the starting line up for the second match had six new faces.

In Bhutia's absence Sunil Chetri was sharp upfront; the pint sized striker was adept in punching holes into the Tajikistan defense with alarming regularity. Another individual who impressed was right winger Steven Dias; his performance was instrumental in India winning the Nehru Cup last year and on this day he once again showed his class, his crosses were more often than not on target and had it not been for the crossbar, a brilliantly taken free kick in the second half could well have sealed the game in India's favour and how can one forget Bhaichung Bhutia,he might have made a late entry to the party but make no mistake even at this age he is the glue that binds the team. What was so heartening in that second match was the manner in which the Indians made a comeback.

They were there in the ring exchanging punches till the 90th minute and that made all the difference.

So are we ready for a team which is being thought of as the favourites??

Not yet, certain flaws need to be addressed if India has to make an impact in this all important encounter. The defence and the midfield need to be more compact, otherwise the likes of Krendelev could just decimate our chances of making it to the last four. Mahesh Gawli looked awfully out of touch in the 45 minutes that he played against Tajikistan but he still remains the key component as far as the back four is concerned, infact Bhutia is of the opnion that a fit Gawli can make a huge difference in the performance of the Team.

The men in blue also need to make a confident start, nerves will have to be calmed down and they need to be on the ball right from the onset. The Tajik's were able to open up the Indian defence in the first twenty minutes, while they could manage just one goal, a superior side in Turkmenistan could very well finish of proceedings.

However,it's raining in Hyderabad and slushy conditions may just help India because Turkmenistan love to play free-flowing soccer.

The likes of Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence have performed tirelessly in the last two matches as a result of which the midfield is slowly beginning to make the impact you want in international matches. If the defence can stand up and be counted for and if bhutia can once again turn the clock back, the Indian team could well be partying late on Sunday night, not to forget the semi-final that takes place in four days time.