Gurpreet Singh Sandhu rescues India with stunning penalty save as Khalid Jamil reign begins with 2-1 win - Watch

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was the hero as Khalid Jamil began his tenure as India's head coach with a narrow 2-1 win vs Tajikistan in their opening fixture of the CAFA Nations Cup, on Friday. Defenders Anwar Ali and Sandesh Jhingan scored in the fifth and 13th minutes, respectively, as India defended for the remaining 75 minutes. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made a stunning penalty save.

Tajikistan did pull one back in the 23rd minute, but it wasn't enough as they fell to a defeat. Shahroom Samiev scored for the opponents, beating Jhingan and shooting to the left of Gurpreet.

In the second half, Tajikistan earned a penalty after a wave of attacks, when Vikram Pratap fouled striker Rustam Soirov, who fell inside the box. But Gurpreet had the last laugh, as he dived to his right and his long legs blocked Soirov's penalty in the 73rd minute.

Here's the video of Gurpreet's save:

Speaking after the match, Jhingan said, "Indian fans had waited for this result for a long time. I know we defended deep at times but we are still rusty but we need to build on this win. We need to show more character against Iran."

The match also saw Gurpreet return to the playing XI after he was sidelined by former head coach Manolo Marquez. India's attacking was still an issue, and it looks like it will take some time to sort that out. But the defence was sensational as Jhingan and Anwar took it upon themselves to score too. Lateral backs Rahul Bheke and Uvais Moyikkal were also at their best.

Meanwhile, the Indian central midfield was invisible for most of the match, as both Suresh Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte failed to make an impact. Despite the negatives, India managed to win, which will also be a huge relief for Indian fans and Jamil. Jamil will be looking to build on this start and string together a strong run.

Click here to read article