India beat Ireland by 4 runs in high-scoring thriller

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India beat Ireland

India defeated Ireland in the second and final four-run T20 International, winning the two-game streak 2-0 here on Tuesday. India decided to bat and put in a massive 225 for seven, with Deepak Hooda leading the scorer’s list with 104, while Sanju Samson contributed 77. The Indians then capped Ireland to 221 for five to win the game.

Ireland vs. India T20I Series Highlight

Team India, led by Hardik Pandya, won the second T20I against Ireland by four runs to end the series 2-0. India was the first to hit a massive 225/7 on the board. Deepak Hooda hit a century and found strong support from Sanju Samson, who scored 77 (42) in his comeback match. In response, Ireland stayed in the hunt until the last ball of the game as Ireland scored 221/5 in their 20 overs. Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie added 72 runs for the opening wicket before Ravi Bishnoi cleared the first with 40 (18).

Shortly after being sent off, Hardik Pandya set up a run-out as the hosts lost two wickets in quick succession. Balbirnie was subsequently released at 60 (37). Umran Malik also took his first international wicket in the form of Lorcan Tucker who was caught by reserve fielder Yuzvendra Chahal on the 5th. Hector Tucker was the last Ireland batter to go, being fired at 39 (28) by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar allowed 46 runs in his quota of four overs. Harshal Patel allowed 54 in his odds. Ravi Bishnoi and Umran Malik were also a bit expensive with the ball.

Ireland kept the game alive until the very end, with the hosts taking 17 from the last remaining. Umran Malik got the ball in the final and the youngster kept his nerve to defend 6 on the last ball and give India the series win. With the win, India maintained their unbeaten record over Ireland.

India vs. Ireland T20 series full Award list:

  • Amazon Pay Promising Player of the Game: Mark Adair (IRE)
  • Joye-Bike Super 6s: Andy Balbirnie (IRE) – 7 sixes
  • LevelUp11 Most Valuable Player of the Game: Deepak Hooda (IND) – 159 points
  • Stake.Com Player of the Match: Deepak Hooda (IRE)
  • Exchange 22 Multibagger of the Series Award: Deepak Hooda (IND) – 213 points
  • Series Joyebike Player: Deepak Hooda (IND)

Postgame comments:

Hardik Pandya, winning captain:

(Final over) Worried – honestly not. I tried to keep the pressure out of the equation and just wanted to focus on the present. I supported Umran because it would always be difficult with his pace. Also I think we will come and play cricket and they (Ireland) will show what they have. Credit to them for getting the game where they went. But at the same time, our bowlers deserve credit for keeping their nerves in check. (crowd) I think their favorite boys were Dinesh and Sanju! Nice to see them enjoying themselves. We are grateful that they continue to come and support us. (New Faces) Pride. As a child, everyone dreamed of playing for their country. At the same time, it is special to lead and get the first win and now the first series. Also very happy for Hooda and Umran!

Andy Balbirnie, Losing Captain:

Yeah, we’re all pretty upset. You don’t get that close to a team like India every day. We are sorely disappointed when you come this close. It was a great cricket match, but a bitter pill to swallow. We had to use the power play. The opening partnership set the tone and allowed the other guys to express themselves, and so did they. Our T20 cricket paced as we tried to figure out what kind of game we wanted to play. That’s the kind of game we want to play. It’s disappointing at the moment, but at the same time, we were close to one of the best teams. We have to keep improving. We’re going to play New Zealand next and that should be the mentality.

Deepak Hooda, Man of the Match:

(Mindset) I’m coming off a good IPL, to be honest, so I’m just trying to follow the same performance. Happy with my intention. I like to play like this (aggressive) and also depending on the situation. (Record partnership) Sanju is my childhood friend and we played together under 19 so it feels good to have such a partnership with a partner. (Fans) I never feel like playing outside of India like they come out and support us.

Harshal Patel:

We felt comfortable. Usually, when you have 225 you defend it. But they got pretty close and the wicket was good. But we closed it. Umran controlled his nerves brilliantly. The momentum was on the striker’s side, so the way he kept his nerve was impressive. The way they scored today was exceptional. the quality of Irish doughs was on display today.