India produced a champagne performance on Sunday, hammering Kyrgyzstan 3-0 to set up a final date with favourites Syria in the ONGC Nehru Cup football tournament in New Delhi.
The strike trio of skipper Baichung Bhutia (38th minute), local favourite Sunil Chhetri (60th) and substitute Abhishek Yadav (93rd) got a goal each to send the hosts into the final of the tournament for the first time.
India's previous best performance at the Nehru Cup was a semi-final appearance in 1997 at Kochi with Syed Nayeemuddin as coach but Bob Houghton's boys have gone at least one up so far.
There was electricity in the air at the Ambedkar Stadium which was almost packed to capacity with nearly 15,000 fans creating a frenzied atmosphere in the stands.
The flag, placards and bugles along with the roar from the crowd gave a reception usually reserved for India's cricketing heroes.
Even the most optimistic of Indian supporters would not have envisaged the quality and flair on show from the home team. The challenge in front of them will be to replicate it on Wednesday against Syria.
Man of the match Steven Dias was majestic in the midfield and, along with N P Pradeep, pulled the strings keeping the Central Asians off balance.
At the back, hardly anything went past Surkumar Singh, Mahesh Gawli and N S Manju.
India goalkeeper Subrato Paul was not called into drastic action more than twice.
With a place in the final up for grabs, the match started at a fast pace and the Kyrgyzstan side also displayed a higher intensity than was evident in the previous matches.
India went close in the 20th minute when a Dias cross found the diving head of Pradeep only to see the keeper make a lunging save.
India's first goal had the Bhutia class stamped all over it.
Receiving a measured pass from Renedy Singh at the left edge of the rival penalty area, the Indian skipper dribbled past two defenders before calmly placing the ball in the far corner past Kyrgyzstan custodian Maksim Agapov.
India were a goal to the good at the break and it already looked an uphill task for the Central Asians but the performance from the Indians in the second period put the exclamation mark on a fabulous performance.
Chhetri, who was not looking as sharp as the coach would have desired, wasted a golden chance off a Dias centre from the right from almost handshaking distance.
However, the JCT forward was on target at the hour mark when another cross from Dias got a touch from Bhutia on the near post before an unmarked Chhetri put the ball in from close range.
The insurance goal allowed the Indians to express themselves and although Bhutia, Renedy Singh and Pradeep were substituted by Yadav, Clifford Miranda and Ajayan Nair, there was no respite for the Central Asians.
The score was rounded off in injury time when Lawrence and Clifford Miranda engaged in neat interplay to set up Yadav to run free on goal and slot home.
The smiles at the end from Houghton, Bhutia and other Indians and the cheers from the crowd signified a job well done.
