Venue: Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, India.

India 4 - 1 Tajikistan

Bhutia        Fatkhullo

Chetri *3

Fair Play Award: India

MVP : Bhaichung Bhutia (Ind)

In one of the finest wins for Indian football, a strong Indian sides thrashed Tajikistan 4-1 to book a place at the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar. A hat-trick from local-lad Sunil Chetri and a stunning finish by Captain Marvel Bhaichung Bhutia saw the Indians scoring 4 goals. ( Ironically the had scored just 5 in the previous four games) . Tajikistan came close on a number of occasions but Subrato Paul - the Indian custodian- stood up to the task and made a bunch of crucial saves.

The final was shifted to Delhi because of incessant rainfall at the original venue - Gachibowli in Hyderabad. The move suited the home team as they were egged on by a partisan crowd in the capital city.

It is only the third time that India will play in the Asia Cup. India, along with Tajikistan and third place team North Korea all have qualified directly for next edition of the AFC Challenge Cup.

The win should definitely see India climbing up a few notches in the FIFA Rankings.