India captain says the team had not been prevented from looking closely at the pitches at any other venue in this series

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20252:40

Gill: Levelling series with a young squad will be a big achievement

India captain Shubman Gill has said it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Lee Fortis, the Surrey head groundsman, to prevent the visitors from having a look at The Oval pitch from close quarters during their training session on Tuesday.Tempers flared when India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with Fortis, who was concerned by the heavy footfall as well as the presence of training gear on the main square, and reportedly told the Indians that they should view the pitch standing 2.5 metres away from the strip.Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis and telling him that he was “just a groundsman”.Related

• Injured Stokes out of fifth Test, Archer and Carse rested

• England vs India: a long and hard toil for the bowlers

• Gambhir loses temper with Surrey groundsman

“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill, who was not at the venue during the incident, said on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval. “It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket.”Gill said no curator at the four previous venues in the series – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford – had imposed restrictions on viewing the pitch or the square.”As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot, you can see the wicket from near,” he said. “We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch.”All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about.”0:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

With India trailing 2-1 in the series heading into the final Test, Gill was asked whether the pressure of a must-win game could have provoked Gambhir’s reaction.”Not really,” Gill said. “If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that’s not something that has happened to us before. We’ve been [playing] cricket for such a long time […] That’s the job of the coach and the captain.”Despite there being several heated moments between the teams since the third Test at Lord’s, Gill said relations between England and India remained strong. He said he had “no regrets” at the way he and his team had behaved during the incidents.”The relation is fantastic, but when you are on the field, you are trying to win a game at the end of the day, and both the teams have been very competitive and sometimes when you are competitive in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not do [otherwise],” he said. “But once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nova Iguaçu e Flamengo se enfrentam neste sábado (30), às 17h, no Maracanã, pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Carioca. A partida terá transmissão da Band na TV aberta, do Bandports na TV fechada e do Canal GOAT no Youtube.

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Maior campeão do Campeonato Carioca, o Flamengo busca o título do estadual pela 38ª vez, enquanto o Nova Iguaçu sonha com a inédita taça na história do clube.

➡️ Com R$100, você leva R$344 no Lance! Betting se o jogo entre Galo e Cruzeiro terminar empatado

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto da Argentina com a Costa Rica (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Nova Iguaçu x Flamengo
Campeonato Carioca – Final – Jogo de ida

🗓️ Data e horário: sábado, 30 de março de 2024, às 17h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (SP)
📺 Onde assistir: Band, BandSports e Canal GOAT (Youtube)
🟨 Árbitro: Alex Gomes Stéfano
🚩 VAR:  Rodrigo Carvalhaes de Miranda

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários do Paulistão

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

NOVA IGUAÇU (Técnico: Carlos Vitor)
Caio Borges; Yan Silva (Caio Tenório), Gabriel, Sergio Raphael e Maycon Santos; Albert, Ronald e Bill; Alexandre Junio, Maxsuell Alexandre e Carlinhos

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FLAMENGO (Técnico: Tite)
Rossi; Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira e Ayrton Lucas; Erick Pulgar, Nicolás de la Cruz e Arrascaeta; Luiz Araújo, Everton Cebolinha e Pedro

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaFlamengoNova IguaçuOnde assistir

Six teams are still in contention for the IPL 2025 playoffs

S Rajesh17-May-20252:48

Cricinformed: The contrast in Capitals’ and Titans’ top-order

Royal Challengers Bangalore
After the abandoned game in Bengaluru, RCB need one more point to seal their place in the playoffs. With 17, they aren’t quite there yet as five teams can still finish on 17 or more points. That can happen if Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) but lose their last two games, to Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI). If MI beat DC, then RCB, MI, GT, DC and PBKS can all finish on 17 or more points with eight wins, in which case run rates will come into play.Punjab Kings
PBKS need one more win to be certain of qualification. At the moment, 17 points won’t guarantee a place in the top four as five teams can get to 17 or more, as explained above. However, PBKS can qualify with 17 as well but could need other results – especially in matches involving DC and MI – to go their way and net run-rate may come into play.Related

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• DC face consistent GT with playoffs hopes on the line

• PBKS resume push for playoffs; Samson set to return for knocked-out RR

Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans (GT) are just one win away from making the playoffs – 18 points will assure a team of a top-four finish. However, if they lose their three remaining games they could get knocked out as four teams can still finish on 17 or more points. Titans have a favourable itinerary too, with their last two games scheduled at home in Ahmedabad, where they have a formidable 4-1 record so far. Their net run rate is currently second only to Mumbai Indians (MI), which could help them with qualification or a top-two finish. If they beat DC on Sunday, then that result will confirm playoff spots for RCB, GT and PBKS, with MI, DC and LSG competing for the final spot.Gujarat Titans will play their last two games at home•BCCIMumbai Indians
Despite the loss to GT, MI are still in control of their destiny, as wins in their last two matches will ensure a place in the playoffs. For them to go through on 16 points, though, they’ll need help from other results, while defeats in their two remaining games will eliminate them. MI also have an excellent net run rate of 1.156, which could yet be crucial if qualification comes down to that.Delhi Capitals
LSG are struggling for momentum, having lost three in a row, and four of their last five. The best they can do now is win their three remaining matches, finish on 16 points, and hope that one or more of the in-form teams suffer a sudden reversal of fortunes. If they lose another match, though, they will be eliminated. Their terrible NRR of -0.469 doesn’t help their cause either.

Rawalpindi will host two games and Lahore will host five, including the final

Danyal Rasool07-Sep-2025

Pakistan will host a T20I tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in November. The series will begin on 17 November, with all teams playing each other twice. The first two games will game place in Rawalpindi, with the other five, including the final on 29 November, in Lahore.This is the second time this season that a bilateral T20I series Pakistan were scheduled to host has ended up being a tri-series. Afghanistan were scheduled to play a three-match T20I series in August, which was later converted into a tri-series involving the UAE, the final of which takes place later today.Similarly, Sri Lanka were scheduled to play a three-ODI, three-T20I bilateral series in Pakistan, but the T20I series has now been replaced by yet another tri-series. ESPNcricinfo understands those bilateral T20Is will no longer happen, though a three-match ODI series is still scheduled to go ahead, with a schedule expected in due course.Schedule

17 Nov – Pak v Afg
19 Nov – SL vs Afg
22 Nov – Pak vs SL
23 Nov – Pak vs Afg
25 Nov – SL vs Afg
27 Nov – Pak v SL
29 Nov – Final

This is set to be the first time Afghanistan play Pakistan in Pakistan. Afghanistan have played in Pakistan before in 2023, when they competed in two matches of the Asia Cup, as well as earlier this year for the Champions Trophy. However, they did not face Pakistan on either of those occasions, and this series comes amidst a general deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.The series begins nine days after the conclusion of South Africa’s all-format tour of Pakistan. Pakistan have made no secret of their desire to play as much T20I cricket as possible ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Sri Lanka.”We look forward to hosting Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for Pakistan’s maiden T20I tri-series, PCB COO Sumair Ahmed said in a statement on the PCB website. “This event will not only offer excellent preparation for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but also present fans with exciting cricket across venues.”

Alexander Isak's torrid start to life on Merseyside continued, as he logged just 15 touches in 67 minutes of action in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. The Swedish striker is the first player to lose his first four league starts for the club in over 100 years. Isak now shares the unwanted record with Percy Saul, who turned for the Reds all the way back in 1906.

• Isak takes unwanted Liverpool record

  This mind-bending stat was shared to BlueSky earlier today by Opta's Football Data Editor Michael Reid. It brings the £125m man's woeful form since joining from Newcastle into stark relief.  

  Isak cut a dejected figure when he was given the hook shortly after the hour in Liverpool's latest abject display. GOAL gave Isak a 2/10 grade for his showing against Forest.  

  The 26-year-old's first league start came in Liverpool's 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace back in September. That loss kicked off the Reds' capitulation after winning their first five games of the league season. Further starts against Chelsea and Manchester United resulted in two more 2-1 losses for the club. 

  Saul joined Liverpool at the start of the 1906/07 season after making 94 appearances for Plymouth Argyle. The defender's inauspicious run saw the Reds lose against Sunderland, Birmingham, Everton and Arsenal in the early stages of that First Division campaign. Liverpool would eventually finish 15th. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Protracted transfer saga leaves Isak scrabbling for form and fitness

  The 26-year-old's poor form is likely a result of the protracted transfer saga that rumbled on during the summer. 

  Isak forced his former employer Newcastle into negotiating with Liverpool as he downed tools during the Magpies' pre-season preparations. Isak did not report for duty on the club's pre-season tour of Asia before announcing he would never play for the club again if they did not sanction his switch to Merseyside. 

  Newcastle's eventual capture of German striker Nick Woltemade facilitated a British record £125m deal ($164m) for the ex-Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad man.   

  A lack of fitness restricted Isak to bit part appearances for the Reds in the following weeks, while an adductor injury sustained in Liverpool's 5-1 win away at Eintracht Frankfurt in October stymied his progress further. 

  Isak has bagged one goal and one assist in nine appearances for Liverpool. His sole effort came in the club's 2-1 win over Championship outfit Southampton in the Carabao Cup. 

• Isak's personal struggles since Liverpool move

  Further to his struggles for fitness, the fallout of his move is clearly having an impact on Isak's personal well-being. 

  The fractious nature of his departure from Tyneside prompted the striker to invest £30,000 in guard dogs for his new home, as he revealed he received death threats in the aftermath of his transfer.   

  After appearing as a second-half substitute in Sweden's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Switzerland earlier this week, Isak opened up on his frustrations at his current predicament. However, he stopped short of giving himself a free pass for his performances on the pitch. 

  Isak said: "It’s always frustrating when you’re injured. Regardless of whether it’s one match or more. It’s always worse for the player himself.

  "It hasn’t been optimal. But when I’m on the field, I don’t give myself any excuses. I always want to play my game and perform. But yes, it’s hard to be away and not be able to help and contribute. Now I’m back and I’m positive. There’s not much that’s easy in football. But with experience, you learn to deal with things. That’s how it is with injuries and all that. You learn to deal with it and get back on track the right way."

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  Will Isak retain his starting spot for Liverpool?

  Isak's recruitment was supposed to be the final purchase of a summer spending spree that would deliver back-to-back Premier League titles for the Reds. However, with Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez all struggling with form and fitness since joining Arne Slot's side, the vaunted class of the summer window has failed to live up to the hype.  

  Only Hugo Ekitike has emerged with his reputation enhanced. The Frenchman had been moved aside to make space for Isak after his arrival. Given Isak's repeated poor showings, will Slot put his faith in the 23-year-old as the Reds look to turn their season around? 

His off-side heavy innings in Jaipur saw not a single pull or hook, or even one six. Yet he scored 53 off 36

Sidharth Monga01-May-20252:19

The opening question: Go hard or go long?

Close your eyes and think of any decent Rohit Sharma innings in T20s. You likely see pulled sixes, pick-up shots for sixes behind square on the leg side, slogs over deep midwicket, the odd slog-sweep. In Jaipur, as he brought up a third score of 50 or more in a season for the first time since 2020 despite a slow start to IPL 2025, he played none of those shots. You wondered if it was actually Rohit out in the middle.Rohit hit no sixes in his knock of 53 off 36, the second-highest score of this IPL to not feature a six. This was only the third time in 89 T20 scores of 50 or more that Rohit didn’t hit a single six. It wasn’t just the kind of boundaries Rohit chose to hit but also where he tried to hit them. He scored 59.5% of his runs on the off side, the fifth-highest for his half-centuries since 2015. In his two other half-centuries this year, he scored 42.1% and 32.4% on the off side.It was just a response to the conditions and what the bowling side was trying to do. Jaipur has offered a flat pitch but it hasn’t had the kind of bounce available elsewhere. Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowled straight at the stumps, and almost invited him to play with a cross bat, the last shot you want to play in such conditions. With less bounce, you can’t expect top edges to clear the short boundaries behind square. Anyway, the boundaries are a little bigger in Jaipur than elsewhere.Related

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MI go top with sixth straight win; RR knocked out

Stats – Mumbai Indians' first win in Jaipur in the IPL since 2012

So Rohit completely shelved the hook or the slog as a low-percentage shot. When Jofra Archer went short with two men back for the hook, Rohit didn’t take him on. He made room, and went into the off side.Despite the big boundaries, the quick outfield provided value for going past the infield. So Rohit played this un-Rohit innings, shunning his favourite square-leg and fine-leg regions, and favouring cover and mid-off. In all, he scored 32 runs on the off side.Rohit doesn’t play a lot of T20 cricket these days; his last foray into the format featured his assaults on Australia and England in the T20 World Cup that India won last year. Despite his excellent form in ODIs and good returns the last time he played T20s, Rohit has managed to confound everybody with his lean returns in the IPL. He came into this edition with just one Player-of-the-Match award in the last five IPLs. Given the bias of these awards towards the batter, it was staggering how his IPL form had remained constantly underwhelming irrespective of how he did in international cricket and other formats.The trend threatened to continue into the 2025 IPL as he failed to reach 20 in his first five matches. Then he turned it around with typical belligerence, scoring successive 70s. In Jaipur, he showed he could play a completely different game without hurting the strike rate too much. These can’t be good signs for bowlers.

Sam Konstas, the incumbent Australia opener, strengthened his case for the Ashes by hitting a hundred in a session for Australia A against India A in Lucknow. Campbell Kellaway, who is also in the opening mix, contributed 88 off 97 balls in a 198-run opening stand, which established Australia A’s dominance.Related

• Paine: We'll encourage Konstas to play as he sees it

• Abhimanyu 'knows what to do if opportunities don't come', says Kanitkar

For India A, Harsh Dubey, the Vidarbha left-arm fingerspinner, took three wickets, including that of Konstas for 109 off 144 balls.Konstas, 19, made a welcome return to form after managing only 50 runs in six innings in the Caribbean earlier this year. After rain had washed out the first session at the Ekana Stadium, Kellaway and Konstas hit the ground running for the visitors.After bringing up his fifty off 86 balls, Konstas raced to a century of 122 balls. He got the landmark with a six over long-off off offspinner Tanush Kotian just before tea. All three sixes from Konstas came in the arc between long-on and deep midwicket against spinners.”I thought I had to face quite a few demons mentally just trying to get through that and, yeah, obviously different challenges and just trying to adapt to the conditions,” Konstas said after play. “So super stoked and hopefully can build on from that.Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway had a huge partnership•Tanuj/UPCA

“I thought early on [the pitch] had a bit of nip and just trying to get through that and then spin wise it didn’t spin as much. So just backing my instincts and yeah, just trying to rinse and repeat each ball with my process.”Speaking on Wednesday morning, Australia coach Andrew McDonald lauded the pre-season work Konstas has put in but continued to stress that Sheffield Shield runs would carry most weight in selection.”To come from the West Indies, to go away and work on your game, that winter investment, to get an immediate return gives a lot of confidence,” McDonald told SEN radio. “A lot of our game is about confidence and believing in what you’re doing.”To get that feedback in that short space of time is incredibly rewarding for the player and coaches that have worked on that. And now, it’s the ability to sustain that.”India A finally separated the opening pair in the 38th over when Punjab fast bowler Gurnoor Brar dismissed Kellaway. Dubey and Khaleel Ahmed then made further inroads as Australia A slipped from 198 for 0 to 224 for 4.Cooper Connolly and Liam Scott, though, added 109 in 24.2 overs to re-establish Australia’s command. Dubey struck again, just before stumps, to cut Connolly’s innings short on 70 off 84 balls. Scott (47*) and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe (3*) were both unbeaten at stumps on the first day in Lucknow.

For Oman, Kaleem and Faisal picked up three wickets each

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2025Innings By no means the perfect innings for Pakistan, but 160 should be enough on this Dubai wicket. A fiery return to form for Mohammad Haris, who scored 66 off 43 deliveries, was the primary contribution that helped Pakistan to that figure.Either side of him, Pakistan struggled. They managed just two boundaries in the first five overs, which produced just 31 runs, with Saim Ayub falling for a golden duck. Sahibzada Farhan, put down early, scratched through his innings for 29 off 29, and it was left to Haris, promoted up the order, to inject impetus into the innings.Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls would produce 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in, and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. It wasn’t until Mohammad Nawaz arrived in the 17th over, his cameo ensuring Pakistan got past the 150 mark. On a slow wicket in Dubai, that might just do the job, but Oman’s bowlers have ensured their batters get a sniff.

Southampton decided to part ways with head coach Will Still after the former Lens boss only won two of his 13 matches in charge of the club in the Championship.

Interim manager Tonda Eckert has won both of his league games in the dugout so far, including a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Irrespective of what happens now, Eckert has delivered back-to-back wins that were much-needed after a dismal start to the campaign, which led to Still’s dismissal.

Why Will Still was unfortunate to be sacked by Southampton

The Belgian-born tactician won two of his 13 league matches and averaged 0.92 points per game, per Transfermarkt, which is why it was not a surprise to see him lose his job.

However, per FotMob, Southampton rank sixth in the table for xPTS and are currently 11 places lower in the division than they would be if every game was decided by who created the higher-quality chances.

Of course, football is not played on paper and it is, ultimately, a results-based business, but these statistics suggest that performances from individuals let him down, as the Saints have underperformed their xG and conceded more than their xGA suggests that they should have.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Whilst it is hard to know what goes on behind the scenes, perhaps Still was unable to motivate a team to win consistently, as he finished between 11th and 8th in his three seasons as a manager in France, which means that he is not used to competing at the very top of a league.

This is why Southampton could find a major upgrade on the former Lens boss by hiring reported target Brendan Rodgers as their new manager during the break.

Why Southampton should hire Brendan Rodgers

The Northern Irish manager resigned from the Celtic job last month and he could be the dream appointment for the Saints if they can convince him to drop down to the Championship.

Rodgers, who was once dubbed “world-class” by Gabriel Agbonlahor, may have the perfect track record for the situation that Southampton find themselves in, because he has experience in the Championship, the Premier League, and the Premiership.

The 52-year-old coach won promotion via the play-offs with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign, which is relevant for where the club is now, and helped them to stay up with an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League the following season, which should be Southampton’s long-term goal.

Premier League

312

1.56

Premiership

173

2.43

Premiership top six split

15

2.20

Championship

94

1.49

Championship play-offs

3

2.33

As you can see in the table above, Rodgers is a proven Premier League manager who has excelled at Swansea, Liverpool, and Leicester City in the top-flight, which is why he would be the perfect appointment for now and in the future.

On top of that, the Northern Irishman is also a proven winner. Per Transfermarkt, he won four Scottish Premiership titles, four Scottish League Cups, and four SFA Cups with Celtic, along with an FA Cup and a Community Shield with Leicester.

This means that Rodgers has won a whopping 13 trophies in his career as a manager, whilst Southampton have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup success in 1976.

Overall, the former Celtic manager would be a major upgrade on Still, who has only managed midtable success and has no trophies under his belt, because of his career record, his history in the Championship and the Premier League, and his proven track record of winning trophies.

Dream O'Neil alternative: Southampton considering "insanely talented coach"

Southampton are still considering a head coach who would be a dream alternative to Gary O’Neil.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

If they can convince him to take the job, Rodgers could be the ideal candidate to get the Saints out of the Championship, as well as to establish them in the Premier League.

Fifties from Kaleem and Mirza could not overcome a stiff target despite India testing out their non-regular bowlers

Deivarayan Muthu19-Sep-20253:04

What are the challenges of India’s fluid batting order?

After their batters got only around 20 overs of crease-time across their first two games against UAE and Pakistan, India batted first for the first time in the Asia Cup and posted 188 for 8 against Oman. All their batters got a hit in the middle except their captain Suryakumar Yadav, who did not come out to bat despite India losing eight wickets. Though Oman made a creditable impression with both ball and bat, they could not overcome India’s might and depth.Abhishek Sharma did Abhishek Sharma things, clattering 38 off 15 balls. He was the only India batter with a strike rate of over 200 on an Abu Dhabi pitch that offered grip and turn. Sanju Samson, who slotted in at No.3, was less fluent, but moved to a 41-ball fifty. Cameos from Tilak Varma (29 off 18), Axar Patel (26 off 13), and Harshit Rana (13* off 8) then pushed India up towards 190.India had rested their bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and newly minted No.1 T20I bowler Varun Chakravarthy, but Kuldeep Yadav befuddled Oman’s batters with his variations. Oman openers Aamir Kaleem and Jatinder Singh struck up a 56-run partnership but by the time Kuldeep broke it in the ninth over, the asking rate had shot up to 12. Though Kaleem and No.3 Hammad Mirza made battling half-centuries, they could not find the higher gears that could have hurt India. In pursuit of 189, Oman finished with 167 for 4.Having applied so much scoreboard pressure on Oman, India could afford to experiment with their bowling too. Tilak and Abhishek were among eight bowlers India used on Friday.2:20

Abhinav Mukund: This is how Abhishek should always bat

Abhishek’s opening salvoLeft-arm seamer Shah Faisal dealt India an early blow when he castled Shubman Gill for 5 with a sharp inswinger in the second over. However, that didn’t stop Abhishek from lining up Oman’s bowlers in the powerplay.Abhishek claimed 38 of the 60 runs India had scored in the first six overs. Left-arm fingerspinner Shakeel Ahmed got away with the first ball he bowled to Abhishek, but the batter took him for two fours and a six in the third over. Shakeel tried to drag the ball away from Abhishek’s reach with his sharp angle from left-arm around, but the left-handed opener still found a counter.Oman’s seamers then took pace off, but nobody can take Abhishek’s power away. When Mohammad Nadeem bowled a slower ball into the pitch, Abhishek forayed down the track and scythed it over point. Then, when Jiten Ramanandi dug a 104kph delivery into the pitch, Abhishek pumped it for a straight six.He got a reprieve on 21 when he tickled Nadeem down the leg side, but Vinayak Shukla, the Oman keeper, shelled the catch and umpire Raveendra Wilalasiri eventually deemed it as a wide ball. Abhishek added 17 to his tally before nicking another one behind, Shukla making no mistake this time.2:07

Jaffer: Wasn’t a fluent innings from Samson

Samson’s stop-start inningsAfter having chalked up two DNBs, Samson had a slow start – he was on 13 off 14 balls at one point – but a six and a four off Madhya-Pradesh-born wristspinner Samay Shrivatsava got him out of first gear. Samson proceeded to crash Zikria Islam for a straight six in the tenth over, but slowed down once again thereafter.Having got to 42 off 32 balls, he took a further nine balls to bring up his half-century. Then, when he looked to turn up the tempo, he holed out to deep midwicket for 56 off 45 balls in the 18th over.India cobbled together 21 off the last three overs and managed to find the boundary just once during this period – off the last ball of the innings when Harshit scythed Faisal for six over point.2:00

Jaffer: Inspired performances from Kaleem and Hammad

Oman’s spirited chaseAfter bagging the wickets of Axar Patel and Shivam Dube, Kaleem, who will turn 44 in November, stood up to India’s bowlers. He was cagey during the powerplay – he scored only 15 off 13 balls during the period – but then laid into Dube’s medium-pace, taking him for 18 off nine balls.Kaleem’s knock ended on 64 when Hardik held onto a screamer at the long-leg boundary off Harshit, putting a smile on fielding coach T Dilip’s face. Mirza also showed his batting chops with a half-century of his own, giving Oman hope for the T20 World Cup Asia & East-Asia-Pacific Regional Qualifier, a tournament they will host next month, even if they bowed out of their maiden Asia Cup with no wins in three matches.For India, Arshdeep Singh, who was playing his first game of the tournament, picked up his 100th T20I wicket when he had Shukla holing out in the final over. Arshdeep became the first India bowler to the landmark and closed out the game for them, with Bumrah and Varun applauding the effort from the sidelines.