Gargi Raut in Dubai
India versus Oman started off with the assumption that it would be just another inconsequential match. But as Kuldeep Yadav said at the pre-match press conference: “In T20s there are no big or small teams.”
India won the toss and chose to bat first, and the Indian cricketing fraternity was of the assumption that the team would go in with a different playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy made way for Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.
India’s innings got off to a decent start with 6 runs in 2 overs. Although, once again vice-captain Shubman Gill lost his wicket early off Shah Faizal’s delivery in the second over. An inswinging delivery that found the gap between bat and pad and went straight to the stumps.
Sanju Samson, who didn’t get any game time in the past couple matches, was sent up the order at No. 3. Samson and Abhishek Sharma hit fours and sixes all around the park, stitching a 66-run partnership. Abhishek’s 38 (15) innings came to an end after a delivery from Jiten Ramanandi found the edge and landed safely in the hands of Vinayak Shukla.
In walked Hardik Pandya, another batter sent up the order to get some game time. His innings came to an early but unfortunate end after getting run out at the non-striker’s end. Ramanandi, in an attempt to block Samson’s shot, deflected the ball to the stumps and Pandya was well out of his crease.
Axar Patel played an important cameo, scoring 26 runs off 13 balls. He bottom-edged a delivery off Aamir Kaleem which went to the keeper’s gloves. Shivam Dube 5(8) had to walk back to the dugout earlier than he would have expected following a mistimed shot that landed in the hands of the mid-off fielder.
But towards the end of the innings it was a Samson show. Promoted up the order, he scored a fiery 56 off 44 balls. His innings included three sixes and as many boundaries. He got the much needed game time ahead of India’s second clash against Pakistan on Sunday. It was a bizarre day for non-striker end run-outs as Arshdeep, too, fell the same way as Padnya and walked back with just one run to his name. For Oman, Faizal, Ramanandi and Kaleem took 2 wickets apiece.
India ended their innings with 188 runs in 20 overs. Will Oman be able to show some fight? Or will they crumble against a far superior Indian bowling attack?
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