Table-toppers India ready to try ‘a few things' in clash against Iraq
Winger Soumya Guguloth, who suffered a nasal bone fracture during the match against Timor-Leste, has been ruled out of the contest.
Chiang Mai (Thailand), Jul 1 (PTI) The Indian football team will be open to experimentation when it clashes with a comparatively easy rival Iraq in a Group B clash of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, here on Wednesday.
Thailand are in second place, also with six points but with a goal difference of +11.
Iraq have already played three games and are on four points. They must defeat India to have any chance of staying alive on the road to Australia.
While it has turned into a race between India and Thailand to increase their goal difference before they meet on the final day (July 5), Blue Tigresses coach Crispin Chettri affirmed that earning three points are the bigger priority, and the focus is only on the game against Iraq for now.
'Thailand is the last match, but for now, our full focus is on Iraq. We shouldn't worry about how many goals Thailand or we have scored, or will score. The priority is to approach the Iraq match with a positive mindset and go for the win,' said Chettri.
After defeating Timor-Leste on Sunday, Chettri and his coaching staff stayed at the stadium to watch Iraq suffer a 0-7 drubbing at the hands of the hosts.
It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 173rd-ranked West Asians, who were held goalless by Timor-Leste in the first game, before defeating Mongolia 5-2 to earn their first-ever victory on the international stage.
Giving his opinion on the Iraq side coached by their former men's international Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail and ranked 103 places below India, Chettri said, 'For me, Iraq are not as weak as people might think. They're a good side, but they've been playing back-to-back matches, so we may have an advantage in terms of recovery.' 'Overall, I don't see a big difference between Iraq and Timor-Leste. I feel Timor-Leste were more organised. So, I think we'll get more opportunities to play our game against Iraq. It should be a good match for us to try a few new things as well.' With only two days to prepare after the match against Timor-Leste, the Blue Tigresses utilised their break fruitfully with recovery in the pool and a gym session on Monday morning, followed by a full training session on Tuesday morning.
'We worked on the areas where we fell short in the matches against both Timor-Leste and Mongolia. We're now giving players specific responsibilities, whether it's in attack or in 1v1 defending. That was the main focus of the preparation,' said Chettri.
After only the first two games, Chettri has already used 22 players, including all outfielders, from the 23-member squad.
The Indian coach expressed he might look to continue with the rotation trend in the Iraq game and distribute valuable minutes to younger and newer players, while also hoping to keep everyone fresh for the last game.
'More or less, all players have got chances. Of course, we cannot take the Iraq match lightly. There may be some rotation, but key players will still get minutes.
'Giving game time to upcoming players is important at such a stage, but in crucial matches, we'll have to stick to a core group. If we manage to score early, then we may be able to rotate more freely,' said Chettri. PTI AT AT DDV
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
19 minutes ago
- India Today
Gambhir bats for injury replacements in Test cricket, Ben Stokes slams ridiculous idea
England captain Ben Stokes has called out the idea of injury replacements in Test cricket. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Stokes reacted to the question of if someone like Rishabh Pant should be allowed an injury replacement. The all-rounder was vehemently opposed to the idea, stating that teams would find loopholes in the law to get fresh players in whenever there is a slight the Manchester Test match, Rishabh Pant fractured his right toe while batting on Day 1 of the game. Pant was retired hurt on Day 1 but was forced to come out to bat on Day 2 of the game given India's precarious was allowed a replacement for his wicketkeeping duties according to the law. Dhruv Jurel kept the wickets in his absence, just like he had done in the Lord's Test match. However, the Indian team essentially was left with one less batter in the second innings of the match. The Indian team informed that Pant, despite being on crutches, would come out to bat if needed. Fans questioned the laws of the game, asking how a player could bat or field with a broken toe?India head coach Gautam Gambhir supported the argument, batting in favour of injury replacements."Yes - if there's an external injury or serious concern, I fully support having a substitute. Especially in a series like this, if someone's visibly injured, there's nothing wrong with making a change. In a long series like this, you can't be forced to play with just ten players," Gambhir however, was not a fan and called out the suggestion. Stokes said the rule would end up having too many loopholes and would end up being exploited by teams across the board."I think it's absolutely ridiculous that there's a conversation around an injury replacement," Stokes said. "I think that there would just be too many loopholes for teams to be able to go through. You pick your 11 for a game; injuries are part of the game. I completely understand the concussion replacement: player welfare, [and] player safety. But I think the conversation should just honestly stop around injury replacements because if you stick me in an MRI scanner, I could get someone else in straightaway," Stokes said in the post-match press conference."If you stick anyone else with an MRI scanner, a bowler is going to show, 'Oh yeah, you've got a bit of inflammation around your knee. Oh sweet, we can get another fresh bowler in'. I just think that conversation should be shut down and stopped," he India did not need Rishabh Pant to bat in the final innings of the game. Superb hundreds from Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja helped India draw the Test match, after fighting for 143 will now travel to London, where the final Test of the series starts on July 31.- Ends
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
19 minutes ago
- First Post
Morne Morkel reportedly faces sack; BCCI unhappy with bowling and assistant coaches
Indian cricket team's poor performance in patches in the ongoing Test series against England has put bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on the brink, with BCCI reportedly wanting to sack them after Asia Cup. read more Indian cricket team's memorable fightback and draw against England in the fourth Test at Manchester may not help bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate retain their jobs as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to axe them. As per a report in the Telegraph, the BCCI is 'hell-bent on ringing in the changes' and will sack Morkel and ten Doeschate ahead of India's next Test series against the West Indies at home. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the duo may continue with the team till the Asia Cup 2025, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), due to a lack of time to find their replacements. The Test record for India under head coach Gautam Gambhir and the new support staff has been disastrous, with eight defeats in 14 matches. However, Gambhir is set to get an extended rope as Test team coach, as BCCI doesn't want wholesale changes in a team that is under transition. Morkel faces sack; BCCI unhappy with bowling coach But BCCI's top brass feels that Morkel and ten Doeschate have 'failed to deliver in their respective positions,' especially in Test cricket. The latest case of debutant pacer Anshul Kamboj bowling at the speed of 120kmph in the fourth Test against England at Manchester seemingly confirmed Morkel's exit. Morkel has also been accused of failing to nurture a single talent since his time with Team India. The decision-makers in BCCI are also unhappy that Kuldeep Yadav has been consistently kept out of the playing XI despite Indian bowlers at times struggling to take wickets. 'The coaches always talk of balance, but keeping a world-class wrist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav out has had disastrous consequences," a source told the Telegraph. It's not just the support staff, the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar and East's representative Shiv Sundar Das are also under the scanner. Both Agarkar and Das are currently in England with Team India. As per the report, there's a disconnect between the Team India management and the players when it comes to a few selection calls. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Both Morkel and ten Doeschate joined Team India, along with former assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, last year after Gambhir became the new coach. Gambhir had worked with them in the past at Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Nayar was sacked earlier this year after India lost the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1.
News18
27 minutes ago
- News18
'Ben Stokes Behaved Like Spoiled Kid': Sanjay Manjrekar Schools Jonathan Trott After Handshake Controversy
Ben Stokes expressing his frustration at India not taking his offer of a draw has been criticised. Was Ben Stokes' reaction justified after India turned down his offer for draw on Sunday? The England Test captain is facing the heat for indulging in an animated discussion with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar after his handshake for a draw was refused with the 4th Test all but confirmed to end in a draw at Old Trafford. Jadeja and Sundar were inching closer to their respective hundreds when the offer was made but they decided to bat on. Stokes then called-up part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root presumably to give his first-choice bowlers some rest given the way the contest was headed to. The two Indian batters duly reached their centuries before shaking hands with the English players to confirm the Test has ended in a draw. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Stokes for behaving like a 'spoiled kid". 'Ben Stokes behaved like a spoiled kid," Sanjay Manjrekar said during a post-match show on JioHotstar. Former England batter Jonathan Trott, who was also part of the show, defended the response. 'Common practice in England, and Ben Stokes' mentality is that there are no personal milestones. If you get offered to end game earlier, it's taken," Trott said. Manjrekar was quick to remind his fellow panelist that the world doesn't follow English way of cricket. 'Trott comes from a different culture. Whole world doesn't play as per English way of cricket," he said. Trott may have sided with Stokes but former England captain Nasser Hussain didn't have any problem with India continuing despite the offer. 'I didn't have a problem with it. England seemed to have a problem with it. They were a bit tired, tired bowlers so they wanted to get off but two lads worked hard to get to 80s and 90s and they wanted to get Test match hundreds," Hussain said on Sky Sports. 'Stokes didn't have to bowl Brook and look silly at the end. We make far too much of these things. They played well and all credit to India," he added. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
