Picture : BCCI/ Twitter
Coming out with a positive intent Indian batsmen and bowlers were immense in their roles while giving their team a 33-run win in the second T20I and an inviolable 2-0 series lead over Ireland in Dublin .
Once India erected a strong 185 for 5 after being asked to bat first, Ireland felt the heat while chasing and they were restricted to 152 for 8 despite a 51-ball-72 by Andrew Balbirnie.
Fine hands by Ruturaj Gaikwad (58, 43 balls, 6×4, 1×6), Sanju Samson (40, 26 balls, 5×4 1×6) and Rinku Singh (38, 21 balls, 2×4, 3×6) moulded India’s charge with the bat.
Indian bowlers had to back their batsmen and they produced a superb collective spell under captain Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi, who grabbed six wickets between them.
Prasidh continued his impressive return to top of the shelf cricket as the pacer packed off Irish captain Paul Stirling and Lorcan Tucker in his first over to reduce the hosts to 19 for 2.
However true to the Irish legacy, they fought bravely. Balbirnie was at the front of that mini fightback, making a strident fifty (71, 52 balls, 5×4, 4×6), before perishing to Arshdeep Singh.
His dismissal ended Ireland’s faint hopes for a win and Mark Adair’s 15-ball 23 providing a mere artificial excitement.
However, before the bowlers took over, India ruled the field through their batsmen
