India are already through to the Super Fours; in fact, they were the first team to do so. With Pakistan having reserved the other spot, this game is the most inconsequential of all dead rubbers. However, even the most low-stakes matches have something to offer to the teams, and so does this one. India will face Pakistan on Sunday in their first Super Fours fixture, and before the business end of the tournament, they would want to give their unused squad a chance.
Interestingly, India have plenty of those players. Even several of those who were part of the playing XI have only been spectators in the two matches they played, having won both their games by nine and seven wickets respectively.
Oman, on the other hand, have had contrasting fortunes to India’s. They haven’t won even one game in this tournament, and as much as they would love a consolation win, they know an upset against a heavyweight like India borders on impossible. All they can do is glean some information by playing a full member before they begin the preparation for hosting the T20 World Cup Asia & East-Asia-Pacific Regional Qualifier next month.
Team Overview:
Winning the games dominantly has done a disservice to India, and that is the team hasn’t sought the answers to the questions they had at the start of the tournament. For one, India decided to take the world by surprise by choosing Sanju Samson to play out of his place in the middle order. For another, India haven’t done any experimentation with their bowling lineup in the first two games. Jasprit Bumrah has played two matches on the bounce, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana still awaiting a go-ahead.
India could give Sanju Samson a go at the top in this low-stakes game, or maybe swap one of the pacers for Bumrah.
Oman have gone through 14 players from their 18-man squad, the most by any side in Group A. That has to do a lot with the uncertainty surrounding their side ever since the conflict between players and the board, which saw many first-choice players being ousted from the side as well as the country. Not much can be said about whether they plan on going all-out with their remaining resources, though doing so will help them get a better look at the squad ahead of the qualifiers.
Head-to-Head Matches:
India and Oman have never played an international game against one another. Abu Dhabi will be the first time they meet.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Abu Dhabi is likely to dish out a pitch less of a turner than Dubai. On the contrary, the tracks here have favoured batters plenty, as seen in the game between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka last night. Teams batting first can extract the maximum benefit off the pitch, as it will slow down in the later stages of the game. This is also true when noting that three out of six Asia Cup games in Abu Dhabi have seen the team batting first end on the better side.
Prediction:
The odds of Oman upsetting India are astronomically low.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: PTV Sports, Tapmad, Myco
India: Sony Sports Network, Sony Liv app
UAE and MENA: CricLife Max via eLife TV and Switch TV, StarzPlay
Australia: Kayo Sports
Bangladesh: Gazi TV, Toffee, Tapmad
