India hope to win at lucky venue

It will be déjà vu as it was here that India beat the odds and Syria to lift their first major title in 23 years. But Bob Houghton’s boys have lost a lot of ground since then.

Their SAFF Cup performance in June was dismal and they lost to Maldives in the final. However on Wednesday, they will be looking to put the disappointment firmly behind, and go all out for a victory to earn a place in the 2011 Asian Cup after a span of 24 years.

The good thing is, not only are they in good form, but luck also seems to be smiling on them. Admittedly they struggled initially, but Bhaichung Bhutia and his men put up a determined show in the knockout stages to make the final.

“In Hyderabad, there wasn’t much of a home advantage for us as the crowd turnout was little. In Delhi, we expect the stadium to be packed, and that will certainly help us,” the coach said.

“We won’t have a better chance to qualify for the Asian Cup. In the past one year, we have played 27 matches and lost just three. This shows that the team is in good form. A win on Wednesday will help raise football’s standard and it will certainly be a new beginning for the sport,” the Englishman added.

Meanwhile the break due to shifting of venue has also helped India’s injured players like Deepak Mondal, Steven Dias, Climax Lawrence and NP Pradeep to recover. The only player ruled out is Mahesh Gawli, who is still nursing a knee injury. However, a dry turf will also be an advantage for Tajikistan, who are known for their short passes. They had held India 1-1 in a group stage encounter played under similar conditions.