IRELAND GAVE INDIA a huge scare in the second T20 international, falling to a four-run defeat in a match that saw both sides comfortably clear 200.
India captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bat first, but Ireland struck early. Ishan Kishan edged Mark Adair behind to Lorcan Tucker to leave India 13-1 inside three overs.
Then came a record-breaking partnership as Sanju Samson and Hooda went to work. It took the latter just five deliveries to hit his first six of the day, and he survived a brief scare a couple of overs later. The umpire raised his finger for LBW but a review showed Josh Little’s delivery to be pitching outside leg stump.
The Powerplay finished with India 54-1, and in came leg-spinner Gareth Delany. While his first over conceded just four runs, 15 runs followed off his next as the two batters ramped things up in the middle section of the innings.
The partnership, worth 176, was India’s highest in T20Is. It ended in the 17th over, when Adair produced an excellent yorker to bowl Samson for 77.
In the next over Hooda celebrated his first international hundred, reached off just 55 balls.
Wickets tumbled at the end of India’s innings – Little picked up a couple in his final over while Craig Young finished his spell with two wickets in two balls.
India finished on 225-7, setting a steep target for Ireland. Yet Paul Stirling got his team off to the perfect start, dispatching Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 18 off the opening over of the innings.
At the other end, Andrew Balbirnie took a while to get going, failing to score from his first seven deliveries. An audacious sweep off Bhuvneshwar saw him get off the mark with a six, and not long after he dispatched Hardik Pandya for a six over extra cover.
Balbirnie advanced to a half-century off just 34 balls and then took 10 off two Harshal Patel deliveries. Patel bounced back, getting Balbirnie to slap the ball straight to deep point on 60.
It was up to Harry Tector to resurrect the chase, and he found a fine partner in George Dockrell: together they put on 47 off just 21 deliveries.
Tector departed for 39 off 28, but the big hits kept on coming from new man at the crease, Adair, with Harshal’s final over going for 14.
Adair’s spree continued into the final over with back-to-back boundaries off Umran Malik. India managed to recover quckly to deny Ireland a famous win, with just three runs coming from the last three balls.
Almost disappointing to lose after coming so close, even though it looked like India would walk it after their innings, but it was great to see us competitive and not completely relying on Stirling
What a magic 40 overs of cricket, brilliant exhibition from both teams, anyone who got down to Malahide was treated. Delighted with that performance, putting up over 220 is a brilliant t20 score in its own right, only it had to be when we were chasing down India’s 4th highest t20 score ever in an inning they had a record breaking 176 run partnership…
You have to feel if Tector stayed in, it would’ve been Irelands to lose with 2 overs or so to go. Was a slow ball, full toss that had to go for 6 toward the end of the 19th…think that was the game there. But Adair can hit them and he defo made it interesting. Delighted Balbo seems to be finding his groove again. Hopefully we can pick off a win or two vs the Black Caps now
@Sam Murray: Bowlers were on the money as per, we really have something decent on the pace/seam front, just need to keep experimenting with the spin attack. As good as our guys were, guys like Hooda & Sanju are just a class above with all that IPL experience so they were always gonna switch it on when they needed.
Annoying too that Malik probably waited till the final over of the entire series to start bowling his best, could’ve done with a few howlers.
@Sam Murray: have to disagree with you on the bowlers, I’m afraid. Too many short, leg-side deliveries that were easy meat for the Indian batters. Against the best in the world (as India are at the moment), the Irish pace bowlers aren’t quick enough to pitch it short, none of which is intended to take away from a fine team performance – you don’t get many games closer than yesterday’s!
My first ever cricket match. Even if it was like a home game for India the atmosphere was absolutely brilliant and even more so after they posted 225 for 7. (fair play to the Irish bowlers for sticking to their process) I was optimistic for the chase… But I don’t think anyone in the ground for one second thought we would take it to needing a 6 to win with the very last ball. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Best Tuesday of my life so far and looking forward to NZ on Sunday fortnight even if the crowd might not be as big or the result the same :))
@John Kelly: glad you enjoyed it, hope it’s the first of many!
@John Kelly: haha…..fair play to you John. Didn’t take you for a cricket fan. A game I don’t understand, but will have to try and take in a game some time myself just to try and figure it out!