* New York’s sub par pitch gets the better of Virat Kohli too
* Another low scoring game recorded in New York – (Match 8)
By Marlon Dale Ferreira
New York’s second match as a T20I venue mirrored its first: low-scoring and brutal. Just two days after South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out for 77, India bowled Ireland out for 96 on a different pitch that was just as inconsistent and challenging.
India’s selection was spot-on, opting for four fast bowlers, including Hardik Pandya, and two spin-bowling all-rounders. This strategy paid off, with their pace attack dismantling Ireland’s batting lineup. Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya collectively took 8 for 81, exploiting the seam movement and unpredictable bounce throughout Ireland’s 16-over innings.
As impressive as the performances were, the match will be remembered for the testing conditions. Batters from both teams took body blows, with Rohit Sharma retiring hurt on 52 after being struck on the arm. The pitch’s treacherous nature raised concerns for India’s upcoming match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.
The first two overs hinted at the pitch’s behavior, with both Arshdeep and Siraj extracting inconsistent bounce. Arshdeep’s seam-up deliveries caused problems, with one even bouncing twice before reaching wicketkeeper Pant. Extra bounce brought India their first wicket, with Paul Stirling top-edging a heave across the line.
By the end of the third over, Arshdeep had removed both openers, using a mix of inswingers and balls that moved away to trouble the batters. He bowled Andy Balbirnie with an away-swinger, adding to Ireland’s woes.
Ireland were 2 down at the end of the powerplay, but Harry Tector had already taken hits to the glove and thigh pad. Tector eventually gloved a short ball from Bumrah into his helmet and to the fielder at short extra-cover, and Lorcan Tucker was bowled trying to drive a nip-backer from Hardik.
India’s bowlers continued to find movement and bounce, causing a steady fall of wickets. Even spin couldn’t stem the collapse, as Barry McCarthy was caught and bowled by Axar Patel. At 50 for 8, Ireland were in danger of falling short of their lowest T20I total but managed to reach 96 thanks to Gareth Delany’s aggressive 26 off 14 balls.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli came out aggressively, but Kohli fell early, caught on the deep-third boundary. Rohit, despite two early slices of luck, scored his 30th T20I fifty before retiring hurt. He managed some powerful hits, including two successive pulls off Little that marked his 599th and 600th sixes in international cricket.
Rishabh Pant looked more fluent on the difficult pitch, hitting three sixes and two fours in his unbeaten 36 off 26 balls. After taking a hit to the shoulder, Pant responded by finishing the match with a reverse-scoop six over the wicketkeeper.
India’s comprehensive win showcased their bowling depth and batting resilience on a challenging pitch, setting a positive tone for their T20 World Cup campaign.
Chief Scores:
Ireland 96 all out in 16 overs (Delany 26, Hardik Pandya 3 for 27,Jasprit Bumrah 2 for 6, Arshdeep Singh 2 for 35)
India 97 for 2 in 12.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 52 (Rtd hurt), Rishabh Pant 36 not out)
Player of the Match – Jasprit Bumrah
