The Indian cricket team started the Ireland tour on a positive note as it won the rain-affected T20I match by 2 runs but what is more important is the superb performance of Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah in his comeback match.
Jasprit Bumrah was out of action for more than a year and in the first T20I match against Ireland, he was adjudged as the Player of the Match as he took 2 wickets in the first over of the game and ended the match with wonderful figures of 2/24 in his 4 overs. Jasprit is also leading this relatively less experienced team and this is a platform for him to get himself ready for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 and ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
There is no denying the fact that the Indian team missed Jasprit Bumrah quite badly especially in important matches and with his comeback, the Indian pace attack will certainly get stronger.
In the post-match presentation when Jasprit Bumrah was asked about his comeback, he said that he felt very good and he did a huge number of sessions at the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru, because of which he didn’t feel as if he is doing anything new and for this, he thanked the staff at the NCA.
When he was asked whether he was nervous, he said that he is happy to be back and felt good as he contributed but he was not nervous because while leading the team, he was thinking about the whole team rather than his own performance. He also praised the Indian bowlers for wrapping the Ireland innings at the score of 139/7 and for keeping calm during the critical phase in the match.
As far as the match is concerned, it was played at The Village, Malahide and after winning the toss, India decided to bowl first. Ireland lost its top 4 quite early but with the help of useful knocks by Curtis Campher (39 runs, 33 balls, 3 fours & 1 six) and Barry McCarthy (51 runs not out, 33 balls, 4 fours & 4 sixes), Ireland managed to post a total of 139/7 in their stipulated 20 overs.
In response, India got off to a good start as the openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 runs, 23 balls, 3 fours & 1 six) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (19 runs not out, 16 balls, 1 four & 1 six) produced a partnership of 46 runs. However, when India’s score was 47/2 in 6.5 overs, the match got stopped due to rain and after that, not even a single ball could be bowled.
Luckily for India, it won the match by 2 runs by Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) method, the second T20I of the series will be played tomorrow at the same venue.
