3 things Ireland need to do right to beat India in T20 World Cup 2024 clash
Ireland will begin their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a clash against heavyweights India on June 5 at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York. The Paul Stirling-led side come into the clash as massive underdogs, but if ICC tournaments in the past has been any indication, no team is immune to an upset, and the Men in Blue are no different.
Ireland have never recorded a win over Team India in history. The Men in Blue have often sent second-string sides to tour Ireland, but this is no bilateral affair. Rohit Sharma and co. will put their best foot forward to start their campaign on a good note, while the minnows will have to try their best to spoil the party for their own survival.
Ireland can take encouragement from their recent win over Pakistan as well as their triumph over England in the previous edition of the World Cup to instill belief in themselves.
On that note, let us take a look at three things Ireland need to do right to beat India in the T20 World Cup 2024 clash.
#1 Utilise both pace and spin in the powerplay
If reports and indications are to be believed, an opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is all set to be unleashed. This opens up a whole new avenue tactically, considering how different they are from one other and the manner with which they go about their innings, particularly at the start.
Rohit Sharma has a history with left-arm pace, and Kohli has one with spin. If Ireland can integrate both Josh Little and George Dockrell in the powerplay to put pressure on the Indian top order, and get away with early strikes, then it will make the contest quite interesting.
The tall frame of Mark Adair could also come into the picture, if he can make the new ball talk and extract some bounce off the wicket. Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada recently showed that the pitch has a lot on offer for the pacers, and Ireland can hope that their seamers can make the new ball count.
#2 Negotiate the spinners with a balanced approach in the middle overs
A huge hurdle for Ireland in a bid to upset the Indians would be to have control in the middle overs with the bat. This is an area where several teams have faltered against India in the past, especially on tricky pitches, because of the spin prowess that they possess.
Although the team combination is still quite unclear, it is a safe bet to assume that the Men in Blue will field at least two spinners in the playing XI. With Ireland's batting predominantly right-handed throughout, it brings both Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav into the picture.
Ireland's middle order personnel like Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector and Curtis Campher will have to take on the responsibility of dealing with the tweakers. They have to ensure that Ireland do not lose wickets in a heap, and if they falter even a bit, the spin pair will latch on since they give almost no room to operate.
#3 Make the most of the pitch unpredictability
India have already played a warm-up clash at the newly constructed venue in New York while Ireland have not had that luxury. However, after the Sri Lanka-South Africa encounter/debacle at the ground, both India and Ireland come into the match equally puzzled.
While it is not entirely ideal for Ireland to almost be in the dark regarding how the surface will play, it might come across as a little comfort to know that India are also trapped in a similar predicament. The Men in Blue will definitely be away from their comfort zone in tricky conditions, which is exactly what Ireland have to capitalize on while being uncomfortable themselves.
India certainly have the talent to negate the threat and unfamiliarity and adapt quickly to the conditions. However, if Ireland can induce some early pressure before India gets acclimatized, then the underdogs can get into the game and make a case for themselves.