India suffers déjà vu as the dual tormentors of the previous match, Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard, return to hand them their first T20I series loss in almost three years
Ireland – 154/8 (Harry Tector 53 (47 balls), Ben Calitz 37 (23 balls), Prince Yadav 22/3) won against India – 153/9 (Tilak Verma 55 (46 balls), Matt Hollard 26/3, Jai Moondra 32/3)
Ireland wins by 1 run. Man of the Match – Jai Moondra
Lightning did strike twice in two days as Ireland completed a historic victory over India to hand them their first T20I series defeat in almost 3 years. It was a momentous weekend for Irish cricket as their women’s team also secured their first-ever win in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday. Following the last match’s debacle, the Indian batsmen adopted a more calibrated approach. But in the end, against an inspired opponent who was playing under familiar conditions, they were not good enough.
The Indian team selection would certainly come under some scrutiny as wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was yet again left out of the starting 11. Coach Gambhir’s tendency to pack the team with players who can do a bit of both batting and bowling may provide some psychological comfort, but the specialists tend to get the job done in crunch situations more often than not.
The top order that got India in trouble in the last match was persisted with, and Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav were handed debuts in place of Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna. Winning the toss, India again decided to bowl. To add to the ominous sense of déjà vu for the Indians, the first half of the Irish innings appeared to be going the same way as the last match.
The Irish openers Tim Tector and Ross Adair began with aggressive intent, even if it meant a few swing and misses. Adair started the first over with a couple of straight sixes off Arshdeep. Tector, however, mistimed one straight to midwicket the very next over to give Harshit his only wicket of the match.
Adair then top-edged a length ball from Arshdeep high over the keeper’s head. Harshit Rana, from fine leg and keeper Ishan Kishan both went for the ball, running around in circles, and it all ended with a boundary as Harshit muffed it up. It didn’t prove costly as Adair was dismissed on the very next ball. For all their hectic batting, Ireland was 21/2 in 2.2 overs.
A sense of calm was required, and Harry Tector was up to the task. He was the recipient of some generosity from Prince Yadav, as the bowler first missed a direct hit for a run out and then a caught and bowled chance. But his partnership with Ben Calitz formed the backbone of the Irish innings.
After 10 overs, Ireland was at 58/3 and required some impetus. That came in Shedge’s second over as both Calitz and Harry ransacked 22 runs off it, including one which was palmed over the boundary for six by Arshdeep at long on. India was poor yet again on the field, and the final margin of defeat highlighted its effect on the match result. For Ireland, Calitz was the one who provided the firepower with a swashbuckling 37 off 23 balls.
Shivam Dube was excellent with the ball for the second consecutive match. Immediately after getting hit by Calitz for a towering six, he bowled wide and full to have him dismissed at deep point. Next ball, he bowled Gareth Delany with one nipping back in. From 113/3, Ireland was suddenly 113/5 by the 15th over.
George Dockrell, just like in the previous match, played a handy cameo of 19 runs. Harry Tector made a composed half-century off 44 balls, but the Indian bowlers pulled things back enough to restrict Ireland to 154/8. Prince Yadav made an impressive debut as he picked up a couple of wickets in the last over to finish at 22/3. On a good batting deck with some help for the bowlers, India would have been confident about their chances.
However, things immediately started going pear-shaped for India. Moondra, India’s tormentor in the last match, struck with the first ball as a length ball on middle came back to have Sanju Samson pinned in front of the stump. To make matters worse, Samson wasted a review on his way back to the pavilion.
It can be awkward to criticise someone who is the no. 1 batter in T20I and scores at a strike rate well above 190 on average, but the stroke that Abhishek Sharma played first ball was nothing short of atrocious. A cross-batted heave with no awareness of the match situation, it took a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch from Hollard as he held on to the steepler.
Shreyas Iyer had unfurled a couple of good-looking offside strokes when he chopped on to his stumps, undone by a wide seaming delivery from Moondra. The pressure seemingly got to Ishan Kishan, as he ran for a non-existent single, only to be sent back by Tilak Verma. The ball had gone straight to the fielder at backward point, who nailed the direct hit to the stumps, and Kishan was left stranded.
A couple of golden ducks by the openers, and a further two wickets for not much more, the situation was looking quite perilous for the Indian side. Either side of a rain break, Tilak, along with Axar, went into accumulation mode, relying mostly on singles and the occasional twos. At 66/4 after 10 overs, and a modest target to chase, India would still have fancied their chances as long as they kept wickets till the final overs.
Axar, who has been below par with the bat for quite some time now, played a nothing shot as he ran down a short delivery from Hollard to the left of the wicketkeeper, who plucked out a smart one-handed catch. The arrival of Dube brought some urgency in the batting, and with 51 required in 30 balls, with two overs of spin to go, things did not look so dire.
For a team filled with players of undeniable quality playing against one with a shortage of experience, in this series, India has time and again let the match slip away. Ireland, on the other hand, played with a desperation missing from their more decorated opponents. This reflected in their committed fielding display as they scrambled to protect every run.
The 16th over by McCarthy went for only 5 runs. The next over was bowled by Humphreys, a left-arm spinner who had injured his bowling fingers in the last match and was bowling with multiple stitches near his fingers. Unable to give the ball a rip, he resorted to bowling faster ones. This should have been the over that India capitalised on. Instead, Dube was out on the first ball trying to hit towards the longer square boundaries.
Tilak managed to smoke one for a six to reach his fifty off 45 balls, but skied the next ball from Hollard straight to cover to end India’s chance. It was a responsible innings and with some support at the other end, might have saved the match for India. As harsh as it may sound, Tilak’s recent inability to accelerate after getting set may be a cause for concern. Hollard soon accounted for Shedge and finished with his second 3-wicket haul in as many matches.
The match looked dead and buried with 34 required in 12 balls, but Harshit Rana showed his power-hitting ability as 14 runs were scored in the 19th over from Moondra. Strangely enough, with sixes and fours the only feasible way to win, Harshit did not farm the strike, a decision that may have arguably affected the result of the match.
The contest had no business to be this close, but a nervous Harry Tector bowled a chaotic final over comprising two wides, one no-ball, an inside edge for four and two juicy full tosses, one of which resulted in a wicket. In the end, Ireland were deserving winners, a great performance from an inexperienced side playing against the world champions.
India has a lot to ponder upon, especially regarding their performances in slightly unfamiliar conditions. A bit of flexibility and adaptability is urgently required. Unlike some of the previous tours in the past, this was not a squad filled with youngsters who were given a chance to perform, but one with mostly first-choice players. A 2-0 loss would be very disappointing, maybe even shocking. A knee-jerk reaction would be undesirable, but this series was certainly a much-needed eye-opener for all involved and should be viewed positively. It is better to identify the problem areas now and act on them than to find them out during the knock-out stage of an ICC event.