India play out intense 0-0 draw against Oman behind closed doors

Sunil Chhetri & Co. had to settle for a hard-fought draw against a strong Oman team who came into the match on the back of a three-match winning streak. Stephen Constantine’s men travelled to the middle-east as they geared up for their final warm-up game ahead of next month’s Asian showpiece in the UAE. India, currently ranked 97th in the FIFA ranking charts, kept another clean sheet against higher-ranked Oman by creating a few chances while both goalkeepers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Amrinder Singh pulled off good saves to keep the ball out of their own net.

Constantine offered a chance to most of his players during the warm-up game which was held behind closed doors in order to prevent AFC opponents from getting a grasp on India’s tactics. India, led by Sunil Chhetri up front, made their first attempt at the Oman goal in the 17th minute when Chhetri tried a long ranger from the top of the box, which sailed over the crossbar. The Indian team made a few raids at the stroke of half an hour, but the home team held their defense with equal grit. The 'Blue Tigers' earned their first corner in the 42nd minute but Aniruddh Thapa's corner didn't create much danger.

Constantine brought on a triple change after the first 45 minutes with Balwant Singh coming on in place of Jeje Lalpekhlua, who did not create much in the opening 45 minutes. First-choice Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh, who came on in place of Amrinder Singh, blocked what looked like a sure-shot goal with a terrific save in the 52nd minute.

The visitors tried to hit on the counter in the 58th minute when Udanta Singh sped past a defender to set up Balwant, who failed to convert. India's best chance came in the 77th minute when left winger Ashique Karuniyan laid out an assist for Balwant who passed on the ball to Udanta as the latter’s shot missed the opposition goal by inches. Oman did create an opportunity during the final moments of the game but Gurpreet was equal to the task to prevent any damage and keep a clean sheet.

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