India, June 14 -- India may not have qualified for the ongoing FIFA World Cup, but Indian football fans had reason to celebrate as Indian-origin footballer Nishan Velupillay made his tournament debut for Australia in their Group Stage clash against Turkey on Saturday.

In one of the tournament's early upsets, Australia defeated Turkey 2-0 to boost their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.

Velupillay was introduced in the 61st minute and played a key role in helping Australia preserve their two-goal advantage and secure all three points.

He earned his first cap in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against China and has since become a regular member of the national setup.

Including his World Cup debut against Turkey, Velupillay has n...