Jackson Irvine, the Australian midfielder who received the man-of-the-match award in Saturday's Asian Cup opener against India, heaped praise on Sunil Chhetri & co. 

Jackson commented after the match, “India played exceptionally well today. They threw their bodies into the game, all credit to them. They tested us like other top Asian teams. Yes, it was challenging but we handled it very well.” Jackson stated also, “They tested us like top other Asian teams.” 

Australia’s coach Graham Arnold was also highly impressed by India’s spirited show. He commented during the post-match media conference, “I have to give full credit to India. They put their bodies on the line throughout the game. We had so many opportunities to score but they blocked most of them. They are a very well-coached team.” 

On the contrary, Igor Stimac, the chief national coach was moved by Deepak Tangri’s performance specifically. Even he mentioned Deepak is the most confident midfielder in the team at the moment. Stimac appreciated Deepak’s passing, attitude, and responsibility.