DUBLIN (Ireland): Jasprit Bumrah-led India beat Ireland by two runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-curtailed match in the opener of the three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in three-match series.
Chasing a modest 140-run target India got off to a solid start with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad scoring runs at a brisk pace. Jaiswal helped India put on 10 runs in the very first over.
After the end of the first six overs of the powerplay, the opening duo had put on 45 runs.
Just after the powerplay, the visitors lost their opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for 24 dismissed by medium pacer Craig Young.
In the very next ball, Craig Young dismissed Tilak Varma for a golden duck. With India on 47/2 in 6.5 overs rain interrupted the play and the players were forced to leave the field with the visitors being two runs ahead as per the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The rain did not stop and India were declared the winner by two runs and the Jasprit Bumrah-led side has now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier in the day put to bat first, Ireland got blows at the beginning of the innings as the Indian skipper Bumrah made an excellent comeback, taking two wickets in the first over. He dismissed Andy Balbirnie with an outside off-ball taking an inside edge onto the stumps. Quickly, in the fifth ball of the same over, he picked up the wicket of Lorcan Tucker on a duck.
Prasidh Krishna did not take much time to settle down in his maiden T20I match as he took his maiden wicket in his first spell in the 5th over. He dismissed Harry Tector at 9 runs.
Spinner Ravi Bishnoi got the major breakthrough of Ireland’s star batter Paul Stirling at 11 runs in the 6th over. Ireland were 30/4 after the powerplay.
India were not giving any chance to Ireland for a comeback as they were taking wickets in quick intervals. Prasidh picked up his second wicket dismissing George Dockrell with back-of-a-length delivery which was caught Ireland’s batting team crumbled in front of India’s outstanding bowling. This time Mark Adair went back to the pavilion in Bishnoi’s bowling after Bumrah took a review and the third umpire called it out.
Curtis Campher and Barry McCarthy tried to steer the innings of Ireland, they guided their team to 100 run mark in 16.1 overs.
With a brilliant yorker, Arshdeep Singh broke the partnership of Curtis and Barry. He dismissed Curtis in the 18th over.
In the last over, Ireland’s Barry brought his 50 by hitting a six, they collected 22 runs in the overs to provide a decent total of 139/ 7 against India.
Brief score: Ireland 139/7 in 20 overs (Barry McCarthy 51, Curtis Campher 39, Jasprit Bumrah 2-24) vs India 47/2 in 6.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 24, Ruturaj Gaikwad 19*; Craig Young 2/2). (ANI).