Team spirit, character and guts. That was India during the Asian Cup Qualifiers which saw them making it to the main round for the second consecutive time.

India’s qualification was never in doubt given the lower-ranked teams they played against, the fact that they topped the group with three wins also should not come as a surprise. But the way Sunil Chhetri and his Blue Tigers. went about their job during the three games in seven days was impressive.

If the 2-0 win against Cambodia was a bit iffy, Igor Stimac’s men raised their game by a few notches in the thrilling 2-1 victory against Afghanistan which set the tempo for the 4-0 romp against Hong Kong at a rain-drenched Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.

“Credit goes to coach Stimac. You have to give credit where it’s due,” Ishfaq Ahmed, assistant coach of Kerala Blasters, said. “The time the coach got with the players during the national camp helped to shape the team for these three matches,” Khalid Jamil, head coach of FC Bengaluru United, added.

Stimac acknowledged he benefited from the seven-week camp that started in the last week of April. “I’m really happy because it’s been tremendous work in the past seven weeks. That’s what happens when I get enough time to work with these boys. When you give me players two-three days before the game, you can’t expect much success,” the Croat said.

Before the tournament, Stimac was under intense scrutiny for a string of below-par performances and calls to sack him could be heard everywhere. For the time being that has been put on the back-burner. “I had a point to prove,” Stimac said.

What gives India hope is that Stimac has put together a clutch of youngsters who, if everything goes according to plan, will serve India football for the next decade.

Central defender Anwar Ali, 21, is one of them. To think of a young player who was diagnosed with a heart condition and told that his career was over even before it started, Anwar’s fight from the brink of desperation is a story in itself.

In this battle he got ample support from Ranjit Bajaj whose Punjab FC signed him for the 2021 second division I-League and Durand Cup. In January this year, he moved to FC Goa where his performance convinced Stimac that he was someone not to be kept on the fringe.

His maiden international goal on Tuesday, a left-footed volley to the top corner, was indication that India have a defender who can be banked on. “He is very comfortable with the ball. The more he plays, he will gain in confidence,” former Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen, who has been following Anwar since the 2017 Under-17 World Cup, said.

Roshan Singh, the 23-year-old Bengaluru wing-back, is another player who caught the eye. “He is the star performer for me. Comfortable on both the sides, Roshan has the confidence to take on anyone,” was former India captain Rennedy Singh’s take. “He is constantly moving forward to help the attack,” he added.

The likes of Sahal Samad, Liston Colaco, Akash Mishra, Ishan Pandita and Manvir Singh have also proved their mettle. As captain Chhetri said on Tuesday, “The boys are fantastic.”