India beaten 0-4 by Russia in first friendly at Kishore Bharati Krirangan on October 8, 2026

India were defeated 0-4 by Russia in the first of two international friendlies at the rain-soaked Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The Russian team, ranked 27th, produced a decisive second-half performance to overturn a single-goal margin at halftime against the 69th-ranked Blue Tigresses.

Head coach Crispin Chettri used the fixture to trial several emerging players, handing international debuts to Babysana Devi Thingbaijam, Malati Munda, Cindy Colney, Shubhangi Singh, Dhurga Perumal and Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam. Russia arrived “with the ranking, the size and the swagger,” while India, described in the report as “arriving with belief,” were also “missing out key players.” For much of the first 45 minutes the hosts remained competitive despite early Russian pressure.

From the opening whistle Russia imposed physical and pace advantages, winning initial contacts and second balls that shaped the match. That control allowed them to recover possession high up the pitch and made India difficult to dislodge when attempting to build. Sheina Iana dominated central duels, won loose balls in midfield and produced long-range shots that repeatedly unsettled India’s defence and the crowd.

Sheina Iana’s effort just before halftime provided Russia with the lead, and India went into the break trailing by a single goal. The report noted that Crispin Chettri’s side had earned “some belief” from their first-half showing despite conceding before the interval.

In the 60th minute Russia introduced Petukhova Kira; two quick goals followed soon after her introduction and the match was effectively decided. Petukhova continued to stretch the Indian defence for the remainder of the game, and Russia added a fourth goal credited to Iana Svistunova.

The report cited several reasons for India’s collapse after the interval: missing personnel left the squad short of options, Russia’s technical and physical edge wore down the back line, and communication between Indian players broke down in the closing stages. Those breakdowns allowed the visitors to find space repeatedly as India’s defensive shape became increasingly stretched.

The account concluded that India’s first-half performance was their strongest argument in the match, but closing the gap to an opponent ranked 42 places higher would require more than one promising half. India are scheduled to meet Russia again on October 11 in the second friendly between the two sides.