In our first match of the T20 World Cup in New York, our fast bowling unit put in a dominant display to seal an emphatic victory against Ireland. The seam-friendly conditions aided our pace attack, who wreaked havoc to bowl Ireland out for a paltry 96.
Irish batters struggled against the high quality of our four-pronged pace attack. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh struck early blows to dismiss the top order. Jasprit Bumrah then took center stage with a magnificent display of swing bowling that left the Irish batters confused. Hardik Pandya chipped in with crucial breakthroughs using his variations and brisk pace.
Chasing the small total, our openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli started cautiously due to the lively pitch. While Virat fell cheaply looking for runs, Rohit and Rishabh Pant adopted a patient approach. They saw off the tricky initial overs before upping the scoring rate. Pant finished off the game in style with a reverse scoop for a six.
Our fast bowlers were clearly up for the task, making full use of the helpful conditions. They mixed up their length and pace very well to keep the Irish batters uncomfortable. The victory is a morale boost for our team ahead of bigger challenges. With our formidable pace attack in form, we are favorite to go deep in the tournament.
