Hardik Pandya saves India from major embarrassment as casual approach nearly spells doom against Oman

Apart from being the No. 1 outfit, India are the reigning World Cup winners; Oman occupy a modest 20th position in the ICC rankings. Jatinder Singh’s team was making its 101st appearance; Hardik Pandya alone boasted 116 T20I caps. India were coming off crushing victories over UAE and Pakistan, Oman had been well beaten by the same units. The chasm was wide beyond imagination. Oman, it was believed, would be lambs to the slaughter.

How they cocked a snook at the predictions. How they drove India ragged, with their discipline with the ball, commitment in the field, and flair and chutzpah with the bat. How they offered a telling reality check, with the Super Fours imminent and another Sunday showdown against Pakistan looming.

Oman can take immense pride in keeping India’s margin of victory down to 21 runs. But what of India? How will they look back on a performance that was underwhelming, irrespective of how much they tinkered with their batting order, and irrespective of Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy resting so that Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana could get into the tournament?

Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav gives lecture to Oman players; proves Pakistan wrong with perfect example

Till a point, India’s decision to move their batters around so that everyone in the top eight got a hit before the business end was understandable. Sanju Samson made the most of his elevation to No. 3 with a timely half-century, even if it was a knock remarkable for the lack of fluency throughout its 45-ball duration. Axar Patel made his first hit of the tournament count, and Tilak Varma helped himself to another handy, bruising effort. Till Tilak at No. 7, the reshuffle was understandable, justified, and future-thinking. But for Suryakumar to send first Rana, then Arshdeep and eventually Kuldeep Yadav ahead of him? That was a touch bizarre. Certainly, it wasn’t intended to disrespect Oman, but pray, how much difference does it make if Rana and Arshdeep, unlikely to play again if all things remain equal, don’t get to bat?

India’s 188 for eight was substantial, though it should have been more. But it ought to have catalysed a commanding victory. Instead, the bowlers were pushed all the way by a trio of relatively unheralded batters, one of them a 43-year-old. The lack of accuracy and control of the two young quicks was particularly disappointing, not even his 100th T20I wicket which made him the first Indian to reach that milestone salvaging Arshdeep’s ordinary night.

India believed, with good reason, that at 62 for one at the halfway stage, Oman’s chase was headed nowhere. By then, skipper Jatinder Singh and the veteran Aamir Kaleem had put on 56 in 8.3 overs, making it the first time in 17 T20Is and 13 and a half months that India hadn’t tasted success in the Powerplay. After the first ten overs, of which Kuldeep had bowled two and Axar one, Suryakumar withdrew his ace spinners and pressed Tilak, Shivam Dube and Abhishek into service. That was the cue for Kaleem and the wonderfully talented Hammad Mirza to cut loose.

The shift in momentum was perceptible and even though India’s total seemed a bridge too far, it was clear that Oman weren’t going to go down wondering. Suryakumar was forced to hastily revisit his plans and bring back his primary bowlers. That didn’t immediately pay off; India had taken their foot off the pedal, mentally switched off, assuming that the result was a foregone conclusion, and when Oman came at them with ferocity, they took time to regroup and regather focus.

Even Kuldeep, who had gone for just 25 runs in 6.1 overs before this game, wasn’t spared as Mirza hammered him for two delectable sixes when Oman compelled India’s captain to turn to his best bowler of the night. That alone was a victory for Oman and the ultimate indictment not so much of Suryakumar’s tactics as the lack of bite from Arshdeep and Rana. It would have taken Oman a miracle to reel in 73 off the last five; by rattling India, they provided slight cause for concern.

If they weren’t previously, which is debatable, India will now be aware of the dangers of letting things drift. It’s one thing to want to prepare for the stiffer tests ahead; it is another to be so obsessed with the larger picture that you almost lose sight of the smaller one. But if this serves as a timely wake-up call that has poked the bear ahead of the Super Fours, Oman might have done India a great service.

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