Shreejit Jha, a sixth grader, shares this match report detailing India’s spectacular start to their World Cup campaign with an eight-wicket victory over Ireland in the T20 World Cup.
India beat Ireland by eight wickets to start their World Cup campaign in style. All the Indian pacers bowled tremendously well and restricted Ireland to less than a hundred before Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant helped them romp home in no time. Hardik Pandya bowled amazingly and shocked the whole of India by taking three wickets in the match against Ireland.
Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first without any hesitation in an uneven drop-in pitch at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
Left-arm pacer Arshsdeep Singh drew the first blood for India when he got Paul Stirling for only 2. He didn’t stop there. Arshdeep Singh showed Andrew Balbirnie his level by removing him for just 5 runs. Then all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is popularly known as Kung-Fu Pandya, joined the wicket-taking party by taking the wicket of Lorcan Tucker for 10. Bumrah took his first wicket of Harry Tector for 4. Bumrah also bowled out Joshua Little for 14 with a perfect yorker. Pandya’s magic did not stop, as he also took the wicket of Curtis Camper. Hardik Pandya’s ball hit the edge of Curtis Camper, and Rishabh Pant didn’t miss the opportunity in his hands.
Overall, Kung-Fu Pandya took three wickets and became the highlight of the match. Hardik Pandya was not playing well in the IPL, but in the first match of the World Cup, he played really well, giving India’s supporters much-needed hope. Arshdeep Singh took two wickets, while Bumrah picked up two wickets in the match. Mohammad Siraj and Axar Patel took one wicket each. Axar Patel is the only spinner to take a wicket in the match. The catch of Axar Patel in his own bowling was unbelievable. G. Delany, who played an attacking innings of 26 runs off just 14 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes at the end of the innings, ensured that Ireland scored close to 100. He got run out by Mohammed Siraj. Overall, Indian bowlers bowled superbly and restricted Ireland to a below-par score of 96 runs.
Chasing a poultry target was very easy for the famed Indian batters. It looked like a piece of cake for Team India, especially for Rohit Sharma. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opened the innings for India. Kohli, who was in very good form in the just-concluded IPL, got out only after scoring a run. Mark Adair got the wicket of Virat Kohli. After Kohli got out, Rishabh Pant came onto the pitch. Rishabh Pant scored 36 runs on 26 balls. After the IPL, Pant restarted his international cricket in style after a life-threatening accident he suffered more than a year ago. Rohit Sharma played an amazing inning and scored 52 runs off 37 balls. The partnership between Pant and Rohit ensured India reached the target without much trouble. They scored 70 runs on 60 balls. Unfortunately, Rohit Sharma got hurt in his shoulder, and he went off the pitch and retired hurt. After that, Surya Kumar Yadav came on the pitch. SKY tried to finish the game in style, but he got out only after scoring two runs. Dube came in and only played 2 balls. Finally, Rishabh Pant finished the game in style by hitting a brilliant supla shot. India finished the match in just 12.2 overs, only losing 2 wickets.
