Late equalisers
At home India had lost to Oman in September, with Erwin Koeman's side snatching a 2-1 win having trailed with eight minutes remaining in Guwahati. India will be hoping to turn things around, though the job is easier said than done.
After the heart-breaking loss to Oman, they held formidable Qatar in their own den before requiring late equalisers in their identical 1-1 draws against minnows Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Stimac's task
An upset win over Oman will certainly keep Igor Stimac's side in the hunt for a next round berth but a loss will virtually send India out of reckoning as far as the Road to Qatar 2022 is concerned.
Stimac's side has struggled not just in defence but four matches into this campaign, it is also clear that its offence is also not in the best of form.
Squad info
As ever, the Blue Tigers will rely on the talismanic Sunil Chhetri, who has called on his team-mates to remain disciplined in a match he has designated as a ‘must not lose'.
Senior central defender Anas Edathodika who returned home before the Afghanistan match due to a family bereavement, will continue to remain unavailable while the team has already lost the services of Sandesh Jhingan, Rowling Borges and Amarjit Singh due to injuries.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem,
Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Nishu Kumar, Rahul Bheke, Narender, Adil Khan, Sarthak Golui, Subhasish Bose, Mandar Rao Dessai,
Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Jackichand Singh, Seiminlen Doungel, Raynier Fernandes, Vinit Rai, Sahal Abdul Samad, Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Brandon Fernandes, Ashique Kuruniyan,
Strikers: Sunil Chhetri, Manvir Singh, Farukh Choudhary.
Head-to-head; TV info
India have not won any of the 11 matches they have played against Oman who have emerged victorious on eight occasions with the remaining three ending in stalemate.
The match to be held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Stadium in Muscat, kicks off at 8.30 pm IST (7pm local time).
It will be shown live on Star Sports 1/Star Sports 2 with live streaming available on Hotstar.