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Pakistan win by 93 runs
Oman's batting just wasn't up to the mark in the end. They started with bravado, but once Pakistan's spinners got their teeth into the innings, Oman had no response. A remarkable collapse where seven wickets fell for 10 runs killed the game off, and Pakistan go into Sunday's clash against India with a win, and the wind, in their sails.
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It's all ending in a hurry
This was always on the cards. Oman are the weakest side in this tournament, and this particular team has never played together. They gave it a good go at the start, and by the end of the fourth over were ahead of where Pakistan were at 27 for 2. But they ran into Pakistan's high-quality spin attack, who first strangled them and then went in for the kill as the pressure and asking rate rose. Seven wickets for ten runs as 41 for 2 became 50 for 8, and Oman look like they'll be consigned to the same dispiriting fate the UAE were against India a couple of days ago
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Pakistan's spin begins to asphyxiate Oman
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Saim Ayub dents Oman early
Aamir Kaleem targeted Shaheen's second over, but either side of that Saim Ayub has struck with the first ball of each of his first two overs. The first delivery of his spell fooled Oman captain Jatinder Singh, cleaning up his stumps, while the first of his second kept low to tale out Kaleem. Oman are trying to keep the asking rate in check, but will need to watch that wickets column, too
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20 wickets in the first over for Shaheen Afridi in T20Is
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Pakistan set Oman 161 for victory
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.
16 came off the final Powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 in 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 Oman spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Ali 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 P=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.
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Aamir Kaleem finally takes out Haris
It had to end at some point, but it is innings like these that keep Pakistan persisting with Haris through extended poor runs. 54 runs in 11 innings before this game, but he was promoted up the order into the Powerplay today. That is his strength, and having cut loose in the sixth over, he continued pumping the Oman bowlers, almost single-handedly maintaining Pakistan's imposing run rate. The 44 balls he faced for his 66 makes this two deliveries short of the longest T20I innings he has played in his 29-match career
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Haris smashes Oman into submission
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2 Number of boundaries Pakistan hit in the first five overs, the second lowest since Mike Hesson took charge
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First blood, Oman
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Can Sahibzada Farhan hit the ground running?
He scored 63 in five innings in a tri-series where he was unable to build on a pair of starts. This represents a great opportunity to get some runs under his belt ahead of Sunday's clash
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Pakistan win the toss and bat, again!
Toss Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against Oman
Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first on an exceptionally hot day in Dubai. Every game in the tri-series Pakistan won last week was won by the side setting a target. Salman Agha opted to keep following the pattern worked for his side in Sharjah.
In acknowledgement of the pitch’s partiality to turn, Shaheen is the only specialist fast bowler in the Pakistan XI, while both wrist spinners Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed play.
Oman captain Jatinder Singh said Oman would have batted first, and also confirmed they opted to go with a "spin heavy side”. This is the first game Oman are playing since February, and the first one since a pay dispute caused turmoil within the group. A large number of mainstays of the Oman side are no longer with the team.
This is the first game of the tournament for both sides.
Oman XI: Aamir Kaleem, Jatinder Singh (capt), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Zikria Islam, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed
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Pakistan take on Oman as both campaigns get underway
We're half an hour from the toss on a hot evening in Dubai. It's the first game of the tournament for both sides, as the side with the strongest (numerically anyway) preparation for this tournament takes on the team with the weakest. Oman have not played in seven months, Pakistan last played a T20I in this country five days ago.
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