'Best chance to crush them' – Oman sense opportunity against vulnerable Australia

Reeling from a first-round exit, Australia's torrid 2026 T20 World Cup campaign ends with a fixture against Oman, but Jatinder Singh's team isn't letting them go without one last challenge.

Ahead of the game in Pallekele, Oman's Jatinder Singh admitted it was a great opportunity, describing it as "the best time to crush them".

It might come across as a tall claim from a side ranked 20th, but Australia's recent form has left them vulnerable. Their biggest setback was a 23-run loss to Zimbabwe; they've now lost two out of two against them in T20 World Cups.

Beaten by Sri Lanka as well, Australia sit fourth in Group B, set to face a winless Oman in their final fixture before the Super 8s.

When asked if there was no better time to play Australia, Jatinder insisted his team was extremely positive. "100% it is an opportunity," Jatinder said. "And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20 is a game of momentum and moments. If you play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. So, Australia is not doing well at the moment… It's the best time to crush them."

Jatinder's own scores have been a concern: he has managed 5, 1, and 7 in three comprehensive defeats to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.

The gulf against stronger sides has been evident. Jatinder believes it can be corrected by exposing Oman players to franchise cricket.

"If I have to sum it up, it would be if we have franchise cricket happening in the country, or our guys get a chance to play franchise cricket elsewhere," Jatinder said, on how the team can turn promise into consistent results.

"I think we can fill that gap, and they can bring a vast amount of experience for our national team. But again, we don't get to play competitive cricket, whereas other teams are. So, I think we just need to fill that gap."

He also pointed to issues within Oman's domestic system.

"The sad part is we get to play a lot of domestic T20s where the level is not up to the mark," he said. "And the pitches we play on are really not up to the mark. If you score about 130-140 runs on those wickets, it's a cakewalk to win the game. So that competitiveness is not there because we have a very limited pool of players."

For Australia, the game is an opportunity to finish on a better note. Coach Andrew McDonald called it a "devastated group" but made it clear there was no lack of motivation.

"This group's got an opportunity to finish off the journey they started a long time ago," McDonald said. "We had nine-ten games running in and there were some incredible performances. So, there is motivation to finish the job, albeit short of where we wanted to be. We've got one more World Cup game and we'll be zeroed in on that."