India will look to start afresh after its loss to Australia in the AFC Asian Cup opener when it takes on Uzbekistan at the same venue, the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, here on Thursday.

This time around, in a match that is more evenly balanced, Igor Stimac’s team will try to capitalize on their strong defensive performance in the first half against the Socceroos, which they lost 0-2.

The Uzbeks, who have emerged as one of the leading teams in Central Asia in recent times, are placed far higher than the Blue Tigers but 43 places behind Australia. They had won their Asian Cup qualifying group and advanced to the CAFA Nations Cup final in June of the previous year.

During his 28-month tenure, Srecko Katanec—who guided Slovenia to its first European Championship and World Cup—has turned Uzbekistan into a very formidable team.

His team has only lost three times in the past two years, and its most recent setback came in November 2021 when it lost to Georgia (93rd to 84th) in a lower-tier league.

The injury to Eldor Shomurodov, who sustained a leg injury in December of last year, will be the team’s worst loss.

The Cagliari forward, dubbed the “Uzbek Messi,” is his nation’s all-time leading goalscorer, but Katanec is at a loss for finding a suitable replacement in his absence.

Uzbekistan’s opening Asian Cup match ended in a 0-0 draw, the second straight for the lower-ranked opponent Syria, despite Oston Urunov, a left winger by trade, being used as the only striker.

Conversely, India intends to modify its approach to facilitate the entry of more aggressive players into the game.

Uzbekistan played much of their football through the center, maintaining a high line and playing long balls, in contrast to Australia, which relied largely on set pieces.

After his outstanding performance on his senior squad debut, Deepak Tangri is anticipated to stick with his defensive midfield role. However, Stimac may try to rotate the starting lineup ahead of Tangri, with Anirudh Thapa, Lalengmawia Ralte, and Suresh Singh vying for two spots.

With the strength of Manvir Singh and the quickness of Lallianzuala Chhangte at his disposal on either flank, Mahesh Singh Naorem is anticipated to play as a No. 10 in order to generate assaults against the flow of the game.

“Technically, Uzbekistan is a very strong team. They have young, energetic players with experience competing in the top divisions in Europe, including Russia, France, and Greece, Stimac informed reporters.

The Blue Tigers’ chances of making it further into the knockout stages of the tournament would be severely damaged with a loss here; thus, they will have to treat this as a do-or-die match.

When Australia was attempting to get into the game, Sunil Chhetri’s off-target header gave India their finest chance in the first half against them. A goal at that point could have completely transformed the course of the match.

In front of another predominantly Indian audience anticipated at the stadium, this will be the experienced striker’s debut game versus Uzbekistan. He will aim to make it unforgettable.

India and Uzbekistan have faced off six times previously, with the last four games going to the latter team and the last draw occurring more than 25 years ago.