2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: India 1-2 Oman, 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#4 India rues their missed chances in first half

Udanta Singh hit the crossbar in the first half when the scoreline was all square

India had control of the game right from the referee's whistle and deservedly took the lead in the 24th minute of the game. The Oman defenders couldn't control the trickery of Ashique Kuruniyan on the left-wing and their right-back Abdulaziz Al-Gheilani got tempted to make a challenge just outside the box.

He got a yellow card and Brandon Fernandes teed up the free-kick to an unmarked Sunil Chhetri who rocketed the ball into the back of the net.

Early in the game, they pressed the Oman team high on the pitch, which the Middle-East nation hadn't seen coming. Their plan to exploit the wings backfired as Subhasish Bose and Rahul Bheke were sturdy.

In the fifteenth minute of the game, Sunil Chhetri squared the ball into Udanta Singh's path, who beat his marker with his first touch and took a shot with his second. The goalkeeper was beaten but the ball hit the underside of the crossbar.

Four minutes later, Adil Khan got a free header inside the penalty box to connect an Anirudh Thapa-corner kick. But, he couldn't keep his header low and as a defender, he must be distraught with it.

After India scored the goal, rather than continuing with the plan which was working, they decided to sit back and allow Oman to dictate the possession. Apart from a chance in the 43rd minute when Oman's captain Ahmed Kano got to the end of a swinging diagonal cross and Gurpreet palmed it away to safety from a close distance.

The affair got even more cagey and India won free-kicks in their own half as Oman got frustrated. However, looking back India must be wondering what if Udanta Singh and Adil Khan had converted those chances.

India controlled the first half by the scruff of the neck but couldn't do much. The game was progressing at their will but they could manage only a single goal which haunted them later.