Bharath Ramaraj in Dubai
On February 4, 2001, when Australia took on Zimbabwe in an ODI, Suryakumar Yadav might have been studying for his fifth standard final exams. It was so long back that even the current Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, hadn’t made his Test debut. Despite all that, there is a connecting point between the India-Oman T20I encounter played in the 2025 Asia Cup and that game which was held at the WACA. Both India and Australia experimented with their batting line-ups.
With Australia having already qualified for the tri-series final, the two lynchpins – Mark and Steve Waugh – decided to bat down the order. So much so that Damien Fleming was promoted over the Waugh twins. Australia ended up with 302 for 5, with neither of the Waughs having batted. In the India-Oman game, Tilak Varma came in as low as No. 7, while Suryakumar didn’t even wield the willow. Basically, Suryakumar would have come out to play at No. 11 if one more wicket had fallen.
After the completion of the respective games, there were murmurs of how the opposition was disrespected. But in reality, these were two supremely confident limited overs sides trying to give game time to some of the batters ahead of a crucial clash. Although the idea was right, the Indian think-tank would be a trifle disappointed with the performances of some of the players.
Sanju Samson, who was promoted to No. 3, compiled a rather scratchy 45-ball 56. It has to be said that the track was gripping a bit in the first innings. Yet, it is also true that Samson could never really time the ball. Samson likes to play on the up, and in that context, the conditions didn’t exactly suit his batting template.
Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel were also asked to bat up the order. Hardik was the victim of an unlucky dismissal; run out at the non-striker’s end. Meanwhile, Dube looked bereft of confidence down the order. Even in the net sessions at the ICC Academy, he has looked below par while trying to practice his range hitting.
Axar, the all-rounder, was the one cricketer who grabbed the opportunity, composing a breezy 13-ball 26. The keynote to his batting has been his ability to pick the length early against spin. On the day, he once more encapsulated his length-reading capabilities, cracking a flurry of boundaries while facing the tweakers.
Harshit Rana, lower down the order, smacked a six to provide the finishing touches. In practice sessions, too, Rana has given glimpses of his raw power. There is a suspicion that he has a glaring weakness against the hard length. Harshit’s main role, however, is to bowl seam-up. Just like in the 2025 IPL, he bowled down leg or provided width to finish with an economy rate of more than eight against a modest side.
With both Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy rested, Arshdeep Singh also secured a berth in the playing XI. Arshdeep did take his 100th T20I scalp, but his bowling too lacked a bit of zing, returning figures of 1 for 37 from four overs. India, however, won’t worry about the bowling side of things as Varun and Bumrah will be expected to find their way back into the side for the India-Pakistan clash.
Pakistan, their Super 4 opponent, have been subpar in the tournament so far. But their management will see a window of opportunity when they take on the form side, India. The worry lines aren’t just about a couple of batters – Shubman Gill has not made an impression. India will start the game as favourites, but a few loose nuts and bolts could bother them.
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