New Delhi, Sep 29: Forty-two years ago, Indian cricket stood on the brink of a transformation when Kapil Dev lifted the World Cup in 1983. Few could have imagined the impact that it could have had on the country regarding the game.
Now, as India prepares to face five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata, East Bengal defender Jay Gupta hopes that Indian football might also get a similar boost in the coming days.
India will face Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3 before taking on Uruguay three days later, on October 6. For Indian football, the fixtures represent an extraordinary opportunity, not only to compete at the global level, but also to measure the country's long road towards building a football infrastructure.
"Just like before
Mr Kapil Dev brought the World Cup home and started the revolution, we are looking to show our calibre and basically start one of our own here and build from that," Gupta said on the sidelines of India's training session.
For a young defender returning to the national setup, the occasion carries a personal significance too.
India Enter Brazil Contest After Positive Result Against Panama
India enter the contest with renewed confidence after holding Panama to a 1-1 draw in Bengaluru. Ryan Williams gave the Blue Tigers the lead in the 41st minute before Omar Valencia restored parity in the 68th.
The result, however, offered India something more valuable than the scoreline: a sense that Jamil's ideas can be translated onto the pitch.
Gupta believes the extended training camp has further strengthened that belief.
"From the Panama match, I think it gave us a lot of confidence. We were able to execute the coach's plans successfully and that gave us a lot of confidence even in training sessions," he said.
"We had a longer camp this time so the group felt more closer together, and we just want to build on that because it's all about an upward trajectory. "
The challenge now rises several levels.
Brazil arrive in Kolkata after a 4-2 victory over Australia in Brisbane, with Vanderson, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Junior among the scorers. With Carlo Ancelotti at the helm and several established stars in the squad, India's margin for error will be extremely small.
For the Indian camp, preparation has therefore extended beyond the training ground. The team's analysts have been studying Brazil's latest performances to help the players understand what awaits them.
Defender's Ultimate Litmus Test
For a defender, facing the attacking prowess of Brazil will be the ultimate challenge. Facing attackers such as Vinicius Junior and Raphinha offers him the chance to test his defensive instincts against players who regularly perform at the highest level of international football.
Naturally, nerves can be palpable ahead of such an important clash, but Gupta is of a different pedigree. Rather than viewing the occasion simply as a daunting assignment, Gupta sees it as an opportunity to learn.
"This opportunity is very good for a defender like me to be able to understand how I approach my 1v1s, how I'm able to understand how these kind of players take on the 1v1s and eventually try to beat the players. "
India vs Brazil: More Than A Friendly
The fixture may officially be a friendly, but its significance for Indian football extends beyond the result.
For a generation of Indian players who grew up watching Brazilian footballers on television, sharing a pitch with them represents an opportunity to understand the gulf between admiration and competition.
Gupta is not hiding India's ambition either.
"We definitely would love to be able to score against Brazil," he said.
But he knows that the bigger objective will be to stay disciplined and execute Jamil's tactical instructions.
"I think it's more about taking it minute by minute, to be able to understand the game in the first 15 and, more importantly, to be able to execute what the coach wants. "
For Gupta and his teammates, however, the night at Salt Lake Stadium will ultimately be about more than a scoreline. It will be a rare chance for Indian football to stand across from one of the game's most celebrated nations.
And if India can find the breakthrough before Brazil?
Perhaps, Gupta hopes, it could even mark the beginning of something bigger.
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