Indonesia once again show they can hold their own against Asia's powerhouses

There were only 18 seconds on the clock on Tuesday when Indonesia almost took the lead against Australia if not for two smart saves in quick succession from opposition goalkeeper Mathew Ryan .

Before the third minute of play was up, they had already won three corners as their more-illustrious opponents looked bewildered at the intense early pressure they found themselves under.

And while Australia eventually steadied, even deep into injury-time-- when what would have been a creditable draw was well within Indonesia's grasp -- they still went in search of a winner as Pratama Arhan opted for a long throw into a crowded opposition box rather than look to play out the remainder of the contest.

Ultimately, no victors would emerge from an enthralling 0-0 draw played in front of a sellout crowd at the cauldron that is the 85,000-capacity Gelora Bung Karno.

But as they maintained their unbeaten start to the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with another impressive draw against far higher-ranked opponents, Indonesia once again showed they can match it with the continent's best.

Just five days earlier, one of the most famous evenings in Indonesian football had come in the form of a 1-1 draw away to Saudi Arabia -- a team ranked 77 places above world number 133 Indonesia on the FIFA standings.

On Tuesday, another stern test came in the form of the 24th-ranked Australians, who were desperate to bounce back from a shock 1-0 opening loss to Bahrain and whose pre-match talk surrounded on bringing their A game against the underdog opposition -- who they had beaten 4-0 at the start of this year at the AFC Asian Cup .

But if any team looked up for the fight from the opening whistle, it was Indonesia.

Sandy Walsh and Calvin Verdonk positioned themselves adventurously high in their wing-back positions, while the front three of Ragnar Oratmangoen , Marselino Ferdinan and Rafael Struick constantly kept the Socceroos backline on their toes with their fluid movement and interplay.

At one stage, the hosts even boasted 60% of possession -- which ordinarily would have been unthinkable.

Nonetheless, Australia are one of Asian football's best teams for a reason. They weathered the early storm, grinded their way back into the contest, and then gained the ascendancy.

Through it all, Indonesia would hold their own.

The returning Justin Hubner slotted into the back five, allowing Verdonk to move out to the left and shifting Nathan Tjoe-A-On into the engine room for some added muscle.

Against the dynamic Jackson Irvine and the inventive Keanu Baccus , Tjoe-A-On and Ivar Jenner proved worthy opponents in an intriguing midfield battle.

And as the game wore on, Indonesia's newfound depth came to the fore.

Arhan and Witan Sulaeman , both former mainstays in the starting XI, were this time able to be kept in reserve along with Thom Haye -- who makes it seem a real luxury to have an Eredivisie veteran waiting in the wings.

In what is regarded as the 'group of death' in the third round of Asian qualifiers, Indonesia have somehow emerged from what looked a dire opening set of fixtures with two valuable points.

All of a sudden, coach Shin Tae-Yong's target of a top-four finish -- which would at least see Indonesia advance to the next stage -- no longer seems fanciful.

There is more work ahead of Indonesia yet, now that they have recorded some draws, it is time to take it further and rack up some wins - and there looks to be no better opportunity come October when they take on Bahrain and China , who -- on paper at least -- loom as their most winnable ties.

For now, Indonesia can look back on their efforts from the past week with some satisfaction -- and gain more encouragement for their future endeavours that they can indeed hold their own against Asia's elite.