Anirudh Thapa cancelled out Darwin Nunez’s penalty to level the match for India in the first half
A 34-minute stoppage for lightning came before Uruguay took firm control of the contest
Maximiliano Araujo scored twice as Uruguay added five more goals after the break
India lost 1-6 to two-time former world champions Uruguay in an international friendly at Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday after a match that briefly swung on Anirudh Thapa’s equaliser and then turned sharply after a 34-minute stoppage for lightning.
India started brightly and stayed in the contest early on. Thapa struck in the 22nd minute to erase Darwin Nunez's 11th minute penalty and lift the home side against the 20th-ranked South Americans, but the long stoppage took a toll and Uruguay pulled away with five more goals from Maximiliano Araujo (28th, 59th), Rodrigo Zalazar (53rd), substitutes Juan Sanabria (71st) and Rodrigo Aguirre.
Just as India found their footing, the match was halted for 34 minutes due to severe lightning. The extended disruption completely shifted the momentum. Shortly after the restart, Maximiliano Araujo tapped in a low cross from Nahitan Nandez to restore Uruguay's lead, capitalizing on an Indian defensive lapse in the 28th minute.
While India captain and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made several crucial interventions, including a brave point-blank block with his face to deny Nunez, the floodgates inevitably opened in the second half as the hosts ran out of steam.
Rodrigo Zalazar extended the visitors' advantage in the 53rd minute with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box. Six minutes later, Araujo grabbed his brace with a composed finish into the bottom corner. Substitutes Juan Sanabria (71st) and Rodrigo Aguirre then added their names to the scoresheet to complete the 6–1 rout.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, India carved out moments of genuine promise. Edmund Lalrindika nearly put the hosts ahead in the first half before a desperate sliding tackle from Santiago Mourino denied him. Later, substitute Mohammed Sanan unleashed a brilliant 70th-minute effort that forced a sensational fingertip save from Cardozo.
The result capped a grueling international window for India, who finish the break with a 1–1 draw against Panama and back-to-back heavy defeats to heavyweights Brazil (0–4) and Uruguay.
