India vs Australia Preview, AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026: Young Tigresses Eye A Spirited Bounce Back Against Aussies

India will face a tough Australian challenge in the second Group C match of the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup, Thailand 2026. The match will take place at the Pathum Thani Stadium in Pathum Thani from 2:30 PM IST and will be streamed live on the FanCode app.

After a 6-0 drubbing against Japan in their first game, India would want to set aside the gloom of the previous defeat and enter the next match with a new vigour and belief in their approach.

As the team regrouped for an all-important match, India's head coach Joakim Alexandersson put weight on the importance of having the right mindset.

“The mindset is to move forward. I told the girls that we performed very well in the first half and were able to compete with a good team. We just have to keep doing that,” Alexandersson said.

The coach was positive that the Indian team displayed some encouraging signs, even in such a one-sided match in terms of goals. He said that the team matched the tempo of the opposition in phases of the game and was only behind them narrowly in the first half.

However, sustaining the level for the entirety of the game is the aspect the team needs to work on.

“We need a stronger mindset,” Alexandersson added. “Even when we start to get tired, we have to push a little more. I felt we were losing duels too easily, so we’ve been talking about mindset and also about being braver with the ball.”

India will be up against a physically imposing Australian side, who are coming off from a 5-0 win over Chinese Taipei in their last match.

Alexandersson said, “I think it’s going to be quite similar to the Japan game. They try to play in a similar way. They want to attack with a lot of players, so that’s something we can expect.

“But I also think this team is a little more physical and aggressive than Japan. It means we need to play a bit faster and be a bit braver, with more quality when we have the ball,” he explained. “And also, we need to defend for 90 minutes this time and not give up duels too easily like we did in the second half.”

Unlike their opening match, where India played in the evening, their next two matches are slated for a 4 PM local start, which will add to the list of challenges for them. Despite all this, Alexandersson is confident that his side will be able to tackle these challenges.

“We are from India, we are used to the heat and I believe the girls will manage fine. Once again, it’s about the mindset,” he reiterated.

“Even if you feel tired because of the heat, you can always push a bit more. You have to push your limits in these games because this is a level we haven’t faced too often before.”

With matches against Australia and Chinese Taipei in the pipeline, every point becomes crucial in a tightly contested Group C. The top two teams from the three groups and the two best third-placed teams will go forward into the quarterfinals.

Subsequently, the four semi-finalists will secure places in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026. For India, the focus remains on staying competitive, executing their game plan, and growing into the tournament.