Skipper Suryakumar Yadav efficiently utilised the available resources in both the batting and bowling departments, enabling India to secure a 21-run victory over a determined Oman, thus concluding their league stage in the Asia Cup with three consecutive wins.
Within 48 hours, India is set to face Pakistan again in the Super 4s in Dubai. Before that, the Indian captain wisely chose to give his other 10 teammates some time in the middle, while he batted at number 11.
India set a challenging target of 189 for Oman, who were playing against the T20 World Champions for the first time.
Despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, the Indian bowling attack managed to contain Oman, restricting them to 167 for 4 in 20 overs during the final
overs.
In batting, Sanju Samson (56) scored a half-century, while Axar Patel (26 off 13 balls) and opener Abhishek Sharma (38 off 15 balls) maintained a 200-plus strike rate. Tilak Varma (29 off 18 balls) also contributed while batting at an unfamiliar No.7 position.
However, Hardik Pandya (1), who needed batting practice, was run out by his former Baroda club-cricket teammate Jiten Ramanandi, and vice-captain Shubman Gill (5 off 8 balls) struggled during his brief innings.
In bowling, Surya had the luxury of using eight options to keep everyone match-ready, knowing that a target of 189 would be a tough challenge for Oman.
The two new inclusions in the playing eleven, Harshit Rana (1/25 in 3 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (1/37), appeared short on game time despite having played North Zone’s only Duleep Trophy game this season.
Kuldeep Yadav (1/23 in 3 overs) stood out as usual. Arshdeep, who is unlikely to play against Pakistan, completed 100 wickets, becoming the first Indian to reach this milestone.
For Oman, skipper Jatinder Singh (32 off 33 balls), fellow opener Aamir Kaleem (64 off 46 balls) and Hammad Mirza (51 off 34 balls) showed resistance but it wasn’t enough to achieve a famous win.
Looking at the bigger picture, it provided Surya with insights on his resources for the crucial stages of the tournament.
The biggest gain was Samson, who scored some runs, though there is no assurance he will bat at No.3 against Pakistan.
With vice-captain Gill getting out cheaply, Samson was given the opportunity to bat in the top 3. His innings on a slightly slow track was not entirely smooth, but three fours and three sixes off 45 balls should boost his confidence ahead of the important matches.
Among his big hits, the first maximum off left-arm seamer Shah Faisal, a pick-up shot over widish long-on, stood out. However, his lack of match time was evident as he struggled to get going.
It was apparent that India wanted to bat first and utilise the full 20 overs before the Super 4s, providing their under-utilised middle-order with enough time before the game against Pakistan on Sunday.
The batting order was appropriately shuffled to give Samson his preferred slot, promoting all-rounders Axar and Pandya ahead of specialist left-hander Tilak or batting all-rounder Shivam Dube (5).
(With agency inputs)
