Batting at Number 3, Sanju Samson held the innings together and took India past 180-run mark as India reached 188/8 in 20 overs. The others like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Axar Patel all chipped in, but it was Sanju Samson who held the innings from one end and made sure that India did not collapse against a spirited Oman side who bowled well under extreme pressure.
Despite losing the toss, Oman gave good account of themselves in the field by taking good catches while bowling decently as well. Faisal Shah, Jiten Ramanandi, and Aamir Kaleem picked up 2 wickets apiece while there were 2 run outs in the innings. Oman still have an uphill task to chase 189 down, but they have definitely given a good account of themselves one must say that.
Abhishek Sharma powers India to a rollicking start despite losing Shubman Gill in the powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill walked out to bat for India while Shakeel Ahmed had ball in hand for Oman. Abhishek survived a close LBW appeal as the fielding team appealed for DRS and lost the review as the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Shubman Gill got himself going by driving through extra cover for a boundary.
Faisal Shah got the new ball from the other end. He struck for Oman and got rid of Gill for 5 off 8 balls with a boundary to his name. The ball was overpitched delivery around off-stump an inswinger from Faisal. It was a loose shot from Gill as he leaned forward to play the off-drive. There was a gap between bat and pad. Gill was nowhere to the pitch of the ball as the ball sneaked through the gate to crash the off-stump which went for a walk. Sanju Samson was promoted up the order to Number 3.
Abhishek then hit Shakeel for a boundary through backward point and then launched a maximum over deep midwicket for the maximum. Abhishek then hit Shakeel over mid-on for a boundary. Shah continued as Samson finally connected one as he launched it by whipping over deep midwicket region for the maximum. Abhishek survived a run out scare as he was comfortably in at the bowler’s end.
Mohammad Nadeem came into the attack next as Abhishek welcomed him with a boundary as it was sliced away into the gap between cover point and backward point for a boundary. Nadeem gave away wides to the batting side although replays showed that the ball hit the bat. Abhishek then hit Nadeem through the covers for a boundary while in the next ball he flicked it away over backward square leg for a boundary.
Jiten Ramanandi came into the attack next to bowl the final over of powerplay. The 50 came up for India in 5.1 overs. Abhishek then decided to take the aerial route and launched him straight down the ground over mid-off from the middle of the bat for the maximum to end the over and powerplay as India reached 60/1 in 6 overs.
Oman peg India back with regular wickets to keep them to 140/5 in 15 overs.Â
Samay Shrivastava came into the attack post the powerplay. Samson smashed the bowler down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Then then next ball he hit Shrivastava for a boundary as he hit it over short extra cover. Jiten Ramanandi struck for Oman as he got rid of the dangerous Abhishek Sharma for 38 off 15 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name.
Jiten bowled from over the wicket short and wide outside off-stump with width offered. It was a hit me delivery from Jiten. Abhishek threw his hands at it. He got a thick outside edge and the keeper took a regulation catch. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next and got off the mark next. He got off the mark straightaway. Then against the run of play, Hardik Pandya was run out for 1 off 1 ball as he was run out backing up at the bowler’s end. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark with a couple of runs.
Samay continued as Axar Patel slammed it straight over the bowler’s head as the ball went away to the fence as the fielder in the deep couldn’t do anything about it. Zikria Islam came into the attack next. Samson launched him down the ground flat over the bowler’s head as the ball cleared the fence for the maximum. The 100 came up for India in 10 overs for the loss of 3 wickets as the players paused for the Drinks Break.
Shakeel Ahmed returned to the bowling crease after the break. Axar smashed Shakeel down the ground back over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Axar then smashed the same bowler in front of square as the ball got the gap through covers for a boundary. Aamir Kaleem came into the attack next. Axar welcomed him with a maximum by slog sweeping over deep midwicket for the maximum. Kaleem then hit back and got rid of Axar Patel for 26 off 13 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name.
Kaleem bowled a quicker and skiddy delivery short of a length outside the off-stump line. Axar went back in the crease to cut and misjudged the bounce and got a thick under edge which is taken by Vinayak Shukla behind the stumps. Shivam Dube walked out to bat next. Dube got off the mark straightaway. Samson then hit Kaleem by cutting it late through third man region for a boundary.
Zikria Islam came back into the attack. Islam bowled a decent over. Kaleem continued and got rid of Dube for 5 off 8 balls. He bowled from over the wicket full and outside off-stump slightly turning back in. Dube got down on a knee to go big down the ground. The bat turned in his hands taking the top edge high in the off-side. Jatinder from long-off ran in from the fence and took the high catch. Tilak Varma came out to bat next and got off the mark. Islam too bowled a tidy over.
At the end of 15 overs, Oman have done well to restrict India down to 140/5 in 15 overs. Sanju Samson was batting on 47* off 38 balls and Tilak Varma was batting on 7* off 7 balls. An intriguing last 5 overs awaits us all.
Late flourish propels India to 188/8 in 20 overs despite Oman taking regular wickets
Aamir Kaleem continued after a brief pause in play. Tilak took the attack to Kaleem hitting him down the ground for the maximum and then hitting a boundary through short third man for a boundary. Ramanandi changed ends as Tilak hit him for the maximum straight over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Samson then hit Jiten for a boundary through third man and reached his fifty in 41 balls. This was his 3rd T20I fifty. Faisal Shah returned and got rid of Sanju Samson for 56 off 45 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name.
He bowled a good length delivery pitching just outside the off-stump. Samson premeditated to hit the ball in the leg side. He shuffled across and looked to clip the ball across, and failed to read the slower one and miscued it straight to Bisht who ran to his left from deep square leg to collect it. Harshit Rana came out to bat next.
He got off the mark with a brace. Ramanandi came to bowl the 19th over and got rid of Tilak Varma for 29 off 18 balls with a boundary and 2 sixes to his name. He bowled another slower ball on a good length pitching outside the off-stump seaming away slightly. Varma cleared his front leg and lost his shape. He tried to whack it up over mid-off and got a top edge. Zikria Islam at extra covers back pedalled to take a fine catch over his head and tumbled to the ground to hold onto the catch. Arshdeep Singh came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Then we had another run out in the innings as Arshdeep was run out for 1 off 1 ball. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next. Faisal Shah bowled the final over of the innings and the final ball was launched by Rana for the maximum over extra cover as he finished on 13* off 8 balls while Kuldeep finished on 1* off 3 balls. 13 extras given by Oman as India finished with 188/8 in 20 overs.
The Oman bowlers bowled their hearts out. Faisal Shah bowled well for his 2/23 in 4 overs. Jiten Ramanandi bowled well as well for his 2/33 in 4 overs. Aamir Kaleem chipped in with 2/31 in 3 overs. There were two run outs in the innings. So, that means Oman needed 189 runs to pull off an upset over India.
What Lies Ahead
Oman bowled their hearts out and have done well at the halfway stage of the game as they have challenged India. But the Men in Blue have managed to get to 188/8 in 20 overs. This is still a formidable score on the board and Oman will have to bat out of their skins to win this match. India still on top at this stage. Let’s see how this run chase pans out for Oman and can they make a match out of this.
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