India looks to bounce back against Uruguay

The most high-profile international chapter in Indian football ends with perhaps its most intriguing test when the national team meets two-time World champion Uruguay at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday. The Blue Tigers have already faced Panama and Brazil in this window, holding the Central Americans to a 1-1 draw before suffering a 0-4 defeat at the hands of the five-time World Cup winner. Uruguay provides another test of how far Khalid Jamil’s side can compete against an opponent with considerably greater stature and international experience.

Jamil has a squad built around experience and emerging players. Forward Ryan Williams, who gave up his Australian citizenship to play for India, will be the the principal attacker after scoring against Panama. Manvir Singh, Edmund Lalrindika and Vikram Partap Singh provide further options in the final third.

In midfield, Anirudh Thapa’s return adds experience alongside Apuia and Sahal Abdul Samad. After the lessons of the Brazil game, India will need discipline without the ball and greater efficiency when opportunities arrive. Anwar Ali, Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Bijoy Varghese and Akash Mishra form the backline, while goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu needs to bounce back after a rather poor outing against Brazil.

Beginning a new chapter under former star Diego Forlan, Uruguay will look to build on its 4-1 victory over South Korea on September 28. Forlan is in his first international window as head coach and has already seen his team respond strongly on the Asian tour. After a 3-1 defeat by Japan, Uruguay outplayed South Korea, with Darwin Nunez scoring twice in Seoul.

Nunez will pose the most obvious threat to India’s defence, but Forlan will be without some of his biggest names. Federico Valverde and Giorgian de Arrascaeta are missing through injury.

For Jamil, the challenge is to restore belief in the Indian side by demonstrating that it can restrict a celebrated opponent and punish it when chances arise.

Uruguay last met India in Kolkata during the 1982 Nehru Gold Cup, winning 3-1 at the Eden Gardens. Forty four years later, La Celeste returns to the city, but the stakes are different. For India, it is another occasion to measure the distance between itself and one of world football’s established powers, and perhaps narrow it even if only for one evening.