India U-23s Held to 1-1 Draw by Indonesia in Intense Jakarta Friendly

The India Under-23 men’s football team battled to a 1-1 draw against Indonesia in their second international friendly at the Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium in Jakarta on Monday. Despite a spirited start to the second half and an early lead through Korou Singh Thingujam, the Blue Colts were pegged back by a well-taken free-kick from Dony Tri Pamungkas as both teams settled for a share of the spoils.

Coming into the match with confidence after their 2-1 victory in the first encounter, head coach Naushad Moosa rotated his squad, making six changes to the starting lineup. The hosts, eager to avenge their earlier defeat, pushed forward aggressively from the opening whistle. Indonesia’s Muhammad Rayhan Hannan tested India early, but goalkeeper Dipesh Chauhan pulled off a fine save in the 10th minute to keep the scoreline level.

Inevitably, the pressure continued. Defender Kakang Rudianto came close when he rose highest to meet a free-kick, but Chauhan’s acrobatic stop denied the hosts once again. India, meanwhile, relied on quick counters. Ricky Meetei’s long-range strike flashed narrowly wide, while Vibin Mohanan’s shot from the edge of the box was comfortably gathered by the Indonesian keeper just before the break.

India struck swiftly after half-time. Within two minutes of the restart, substitute Harsh Palande’s precise low cross from the left found Korou Singh Thingujam unmarked in the box. The winger made no mistake, calmly slotting the ball home to put the Blue Colts 1-0 ahead. Moments later, another substitute, Muhammed Suhail, danced through the Indonesian defense, forcing a strong save from the goalkeeper.

However, Indonesia’s persistence eventually paid off. A foul just outside the Indian box handed the hosts a lifeline in the 71st minute. Dony Tri Pamungkas stepped up and curled a brilliant free-kick beyond Chauhan’s reach to restore parity.

As the clock ticked down, Moosa introduced more fresh legs, including goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey, who replaced Chauhan late on. Dubey made an immediate impact, pulling off a superb save to deny Rifqi Ray Farandi’s powerful long-range effort, ensuring the score remained level until the final whistle.

The result capped off a competitive two-match series between the two sides, with India finishing unbeaten. While the Blue Colts would have hoped for back-to-back wins, the performance highlighted their defensive resilience and growing maturity under Moosa’s guidance.