The Indian national team is all set to kickstart their Hero Intercontinental Cup title defence with the opening match against Tajikistan on Sunday, July 7, at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad.

The tie will be an important one in the larger context of things, considering it will be new head coach Igor Stimac's first match in charge of the national team on Indian soil. Barring that, India are the defending champions, having won the 2018 edition of the tournament, and a good start to the campaign will be imperative for the Blue Tigers if they intend to keep hold of the trophy. Let's take a look at what Indian fans can expect from the match.

Tajikistan

Ranked 120th in the current FIFA Rankings, Tajikistan are a good 19 places below India (ranked 101st). The Persian Lions haven't been in the best of forms over the last eighteen months, winning just two, drawing two and losing six of their ten fixtures. Much like India, Tajikistan, too, have a new head coach at the helm. Usmon Toshev assumed the role of the team’s head coach seven months back and has taken charge in two official matches. The 53-year-old is yet to taste victory, however, having drawn 1-1 against Afghanistan and losing 1-0 against China. Tajikistan's last victory on the international stage came back in October 2018, when they beat Philippines 2-0 in Bangladesh.

Considering form and momentum, India seem to have the upper hand on their Sunday’s opponents, but a look back at their head to head record does flip the script somewhat. The two teams have faced off four times in the past, with India winning one, drawing one and losing two. The Blue Tigers' only victory against the Tajiks came way back in 2008 during the AFC Challenge Cup. A Sunil Chhetri hat-trick inspired the team to a 4-1 win. The last two fixtures, however, went Tajikistan's way as they came out 2-0 and 3-0 winners in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Usmon's Tajik team is a young unit, with the average age being in the low 20s. 31-year-old goalkeeper Abduaziz Mahkamov is the oldest player in the squad and has just 12 caps under his belt. However, the team is a hard-working unit and has the edge in physicality over India.

Tajikistan don't have too many individual stars in their side, but left-back Akhtam Nazarov and midfielder Parvizdzhon Umarbayev deserves special mention. The former can be a nuisance with his overlapping run, as showcased by his six goals in 40 matches. Umarbayev, who plies his trade with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv, is the highest scorer amongst the current batch with 6 goals from 19 outings. The Indian defence and midfield need to be particularly wary of him making runs into spaces from the deep.

India

With new head coach Igor Stimac at the helm and a strong showing at the King's Cup in Thailand to mark the beginning of his stewardship, there's an aura of positivity surrounding the Blue Tigers currently. The 51-year-old made it very clear that the focus going forward will be primarily on the youth and playing attractive football. Fans can expect the likes of Amarjit Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa and others to play a telling role in the competition, starting with the tie against Tajikistan.

With Stimac stressing on possession-based football, the onus on the Indian team will be to try and play out from the back. The injection of a good passer like Anas Edathodika, who recently came back from international retirement, in the squad may help the team achieve exactly that. Fitness permitting, expect the 32-year-old to partner Sandesh Jhingan at the heart of India's defence on Sunday.

Sunil Chhetri was India's star man during the 2018 edition, where he scored 8 goals and ended the tournament as the highest scorer. The Indian talisman will have a lot riding on him in front of goal on Sunday and over the course of the competition.

With the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers set to begin in September, the Hero Intercontinental Cup will be an important tournament for Stimac and Co. Needless to say, the Blue Tigers will be eager to make a roaring start to set the pace for their title defence.

Catch the match live on the Star Sports Network and Hotstar from 8 PM.