2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in their 2024 T20 World Cup match vs Ireland
Team India started their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign on a good note as they beat Ireland by eight wickets at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 5. The Men in Blue had a routine game on a tough wicket, which had uneven bounce and prodigious seam movement for the pacers.
They skittled Ireland for under 100 and managed to get over the line comfortably, although their batters copped a few blows.
That said, though, it wasn't a perfect game from Rohit Sharma and his men. Going forward in the competition, they will need to build on their performance in the opening game.
Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in their 2024 T20 World Cup clash against Ireland.
#3 Mistake - India decided to drop Kuldeep Yadav
It was understandable that India wanted to play three fast bowlers in New York. There was plenty of assistance for the pacers, and the trio did their job well alongside Hardik Pandya.
However, if someone had to go out to accommodate a third pacer, it was Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner was never going to be overly effective on the pitch, although he did chip in with a wicket. And he likely would've found it difficult to counter pace and bounce, had he gotten to bat.
India got away with it against Ireland but can't afford to do the same against other oppositions. Kuldeep is a world-class spinner and needs to be one of the first names on the team sheet irrespective of the conditions.
#2 Masterstroke - India played three fast bowlers and used their options well in the powerplay
Jasprit Bumrah is always a candidate to take the new ball, but India, and captain Rohit Sharma, made the right call by opting to use Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj in the first five overs. The duo are better off operating when there's assistance on offer.
One of the reasons why they were able to do that was the fact that they played three specialist pacers. And once they made that call, Siraj and Arshdeep were always going to be the ideal new-ball combination.
Bumrah came into the attack and did his thing, closing out the powerplay with a maiden en route to a Player of the Match performance. However...
#1 Mistake - India didn't go for the kill with their pacers
India needlessly tried out Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja for a couple of overs when the fast bowlers were wreaking havoc. They would've been better off bowling out their pacers and minimizing Ireland's chances of reaching a defendable total.
Bumrah and Siraj bowled only three overs each. While the move to bring spin on didn't backfire, with Axar even picking up a wicket, it's something that had no clear reasoning behind it. Going forward, India can't afford to take their foot off the pedal.