India aim to level Ireland T20I series after shock defeat

India will look to bounce back from a shock defeat in the opening T20I when they face Ireland in the series-deciding second match. The visitors need an improved batting display to avoid a series loss before travelling to England

Belfast: India’s star-studded top order will be under pressure to make amends when they take on a buoyant Ireland in the second and final T20I here on Sunday, with Shreyas Iyer’s men aiming to level the series after a shocking defeat in the opener.

Playing their first match since their T20 World Cup triumph, the reigning champions suffered one of their biggest upsets as Ireland defended 182, bowled them out for 148 and registered their maiden international victory over India here on Friday.

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It was hardly the start Iyer would have envisioned on his return to T20Is after 963 days, and his first assignment as India’s T20 captain.

With a five-match series against England beginning at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, Iyer, who has replaced India’s T20 World Cup-winning skipper Suryakumar Yadav, will be eager to sign off on the brief Ireland tour with a win.

The biggest concern from the opening game was India’s batting collapse.

Sanju Samson, India’s World Cup hero three months ago, lasted just four balls before becoming debutant Jai Moondra’s maiden international wicket.

Ishan Kishan and Iyer too fell for single-digit scores inside the powerplay as India slipped into early trouble.

At the other end, Abhishek Sharma carried on in his usual explosive manner, striking the ball cleanly at the top, but lacked support from the other end. His dismissal after the powerplay derailed India’s chase.

Ireland’s two debutant pacers, Moondra and Matt Hollard, exposed India’s top order brilliantly.

While Moondra removed Samson with his very first delivery in international cricket, Hollard dismissed Kishan and Iyer before claiming Washington Sundar to finish with three wickets.

With the run-rate pressure mounting, Tilak Varma, Washington, and Shivam Dube could not consolidate. The outcome of the second contest, thus, could once again hinge on how India’s batters tackle the inexperienced but confident Irish pace duo.

Sooryavanshi’s debut

The team management is unlikely to press the panic button after one defeat.

Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was expected by many to make his international debut in the opener, is likely to remain on the sidelines again as India are unlikely to tinker with the top order after one defeat.

Accommodating the left-hander would require a reshuffle, possibly pushing Samson down the order at the expense of Washington.

The bowling unit, on the other hand, offered several positives.

Harshit Rana made an impressive comeback after a four-month lay-off due to a knee injury, using his variations smartly to return figures of 3/24.

Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel also bowled well, especially at the death.

However, Iyer’s decision to front-load his pace attack left India short of options in the closing overs.

Washington leaked 19 runs in the 16th over before Prasidh Krishna endured another forgettable outing, conceding 27 runs in the 17th over and finishing with 0/57.

Those expensive overs allowed Ireland to add around 20-30 crucial runs, which eventually proved decisive.

Ireland’s innings, on the other hand, was built around captain Lorcan Tucker’s composed half-century.

After crawling to five off his first 11 balls, Tucker accelerated brilliantly to reach his fifty off 35 deliveries, while Gareth Delany’s 49 off 32 provided the perfect support as the hosts posted a competitive 182.

Having already scripted history with their first international win over India, Ireland will be brimming with confidence.

India, on the other hand, will have little choice but to produce a far more complete performance if they are to avoid losing the series and restore momentum before the England assignment.

Teams (from)

India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (c&wk), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Reuben Wilson.

Match starts at 6 pm IST.