Hyderabad: Cricket has arrived in America, as has the Indian bowling department that first packed off the Irish newbies into the pavilion at a measly 97 runs in 17 overs and then finished off the game in 12.2 overs with the willow men of the top-ranked T20 team in the world got going in true elan. After Sharma retired at the middle point, It was left to Rishabh Pant to steer India into the second group stage match on June 7, all guns blazing. He did so with a stylish Pant-type six scoring 36 runs in 26 balls with three fours and two sixes.
The dipper of the short show was King Kohli, who came in as Sharma’s opening partner, failed to fire much to the disappointment of the gentry in the stands most of whom had come to see the power show of this top-ranked T20 batter who seldom disappoints, but this was not his day as he walked at just five unnoticed runs at the mouth of the game.
He top-edged a catch to White on a pitch that did not go down well with his bat, giving Adair reason to celebrate. The Kohli event happened in the third over but by the 9th, Sharma and Pant had got going, wanting to go back with a quickie under their pads.
Sharma reached the milestone of 4000 T20 runs in his career hitting back-to-back handsome sixes, giving Little reason to be smart and cringe. Sharma first reached his quickfire 42 in 33 balls decking them up with three boundaries and an equal number of sixes. His 30th fifty in 36 balls came right after, at the halfway mark with India needing 21 runs to victory.
Sharma retired at this juncture at 52 to cope with a shoulder blow, to bring in run-machine Surya Kumar Yadav into the attack. It was, however, Pant who took over with 24 runs in 21 balls as Surya lobbed a White delivery to a catch to Dockrel at deep point to walk at a slim two runs.
With this cheap dismissal both the strong hitters – Kohli and SKY – returned without a ripple.
With just six runs left for victory, it was for Shivam Dube and a well-settled Pant to wrap up the proceedings when India required just six runs from 50 balls. In true Pant style, the wicket-keeping batter finished the proceedings with an aerial beauty to record an eight-wicket win for Team India in 12.2 overs.
Earlier in the day, as the New York sky got overburdened with clouds and the sun kept fighting to come out of the cordon, Sharma’s bowlers lived up to his expectation after he won the toss and elected to field in its first match of the World Cup, against Ireland.
Sharma’s decision paid off with his opening bowler Arshdeep Singh triggering off a wicket feast with two in his second over, as his mates took over the mantle to orchestrate a morning massacre on Ireland – each of the four pacers and then spin doc Axar Patel getting a piece of the pie in quick succession. Jadeja was the only bowler from the Indian pack who did not get a scalp.
Such was the roll of wickets that Ireland gave the game of falling ninepins a deep complex of slowness.
A 10-ball over by opening bowler Arshdeep in his first spell shed off criticism, thanks to his sizzling second over which took out the Irish big run machines Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie. Skipper Stirling gave a leading edge to a mid-length ball rising like a phoenix and compelling wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant to dive sky-high to take the catch.
The last ball of this over had the big-hitter Balbirnie walking to beauty, an out-swinger which nipped away between bat and pad leaving the batsmen befuddled. Ireland, which has never won a game against India thus far, was 9-2 as Mohammed Siraj from the other end had the wind beneath his sails, having Pant in exercise mode.
Pandya came in and got into action immediately, taking out Lorcan Tucker, who bowled for 10 in 13 deliveries, bringing Ireland to 28-3 in 6.5 overs even as the stadium announcers carried out their innovative game announcements much in baseball style. “In at No 5, Campher. Seventh over in the bag, Ireland 32-3,” the announcement said, as Jasprit Bumrah ran in from the other end.
Pandya delivered a full-length ball on off-stump, and it nipped back in sharply. As Tucker leaned into the stroke, aiming to blast it through the cover, the late movement caught him off guard. The ball sneaked past his bat and flattened the middle stump, showcasing Hardik's impeccable precision and timing.
India chose to open the attack with Arshdeep instead of Bumrah for this one. But Bumrah being the stealth bomber that he so naturally is, struck in his very first over, packing off Harry Tucker. Surprised by the speed, Tucker walked off in pain as a mistimed pull shot rapped the glove and then spun off the helmet.
Coming off the glove, another one rushed the batter and surprised him. Tucker walked off shaking his head and winging in pain. He looks to swivel back to play the pull but the extra bounce means this one pings him on the gloves and then lobs to the fielder off the deflection onto the helmet and straight into the hands of an almost apologetic Virat Kohli.
And then yet again in the final ball of the next over, India struck again with Pandya scalping Curtis Campher as the fifth wicket. In at 7, Ireland Jersey No 64, Dareth Delaney was the next to give India its mirth moments.
The wicket festival kept coming, almost disappointing the crowd that had turned up in full attendance hoping to watch a possible grueller under the American skies. But a bemused Ireland and a bang-on Indian bowling department kept striking with ease, hurtling the match into a quick but winning end.
Over No. 7, with Mohammed Siraj back into the attack, he removed George Dockrel caught by Bumrah, the proceedings coming at such speed that commentators were having a torrid time, trying to keep pace with the destruction in the middle.
In an 8 for Ireland was Mark Adair when the Irish scoreboard for both batters at the crease showed 0-0, 0-0 and the team score being one less than 50 for 6 outdoors!
This was time to the halfway break that came in to give a tottering Ireland a brief breather and Rohit, the time to give his bowlers a pat on the back.
Pandya claimed his third soon after the drinks break when Adair threw his bat aimlessly to be caught by Shivam Dube at deep point and yet another to come on to a hattrick which was saved by McCarthy. A wicket maiden had Ireland giving a complex to nine pins falling totally in disarray with 49-7.
The pace job was done well, it was now time for Axar Patel to come in when Ireland was 50 up and looking to somehow get out of the DIY annihilation game. Patel hit in his very first ball in a diving caught and bowled action plan, packing off Barry McCarthy on a six-ball duck, bringing Ireland into the life-taker jacket at 50-8.
The crowd, which had by now filled up three-fourths of the stadium at $300 a ticket each was baying for action, even cheering the Irish for a late innings six, off Pandya. The Irish innings till now had hit just four boundaries and a six in its dismal account.
After one from Jadeja, Bumrah was back into the attack to take out the ninth with sublime ease, in his second ball of the over, yanking off the furniture for Josh Little at 14 with his signature yorker. Ireland by now was into its last rites of the innings at 78-9 in the 15th over. Little was Ireland’s second-highest scorer at 14 runs with his partner going up to 28.
Arshdeep returned in the 16th over of the game to allow Delany to swing his bat first to a boundary, then a six and next another two boundaries to give the Irish scoreline some respectability and a chance to somehow reach a three-figure total from 97. But that was not to be as after a brief spurt in runs, White ran himself out and Ireland wound up for 97, three overs short of the 20-over innings.
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