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WICKET! India 22-1 (Kohli c White b Adair 1)Kohli, who faced only one ball in the first two overs, charges Adair and misses. Even on this dodgy pitch, India appear to have net run-rate in mind.
It’s really not easy out there, not even for Kohli. He’s beaten again by Adair and then slashes straight to Ben White to third man. Kohli goes for a five-ball 1.
2nd over: India 22-0 (Rohit 18, Kohli 1) The left-armer Josh Little immediately gets the ball to swing into the right-handers. Rohit digs out a fine yorker and then inside edges a wider yorker for four. That could easily have violated his furniture.
Little can’t always control the swing, though, and there are a couple of leg-side wides. A pretty good over for Ireland ends miserably when another attempted yorker is clubbed over long-on for six by Rohit.
1st over: India 7-0 (Rohit 6, Kohli 0) Rohit Sharma flails and misses at the first ball of the innings from Marc Adair, which is eventually called wide. There’s plenty of movement for Adair, as there was for India’s quicks. Rohit is beaten through the gate, inside edges past the stumps and outside edges through the hands of second slip for four runs. That was a chance for Balbirnie, albeit a very sharp one. I don’t know whether he got a touch on it; either way, it beat him for pace.
Nasty pitch. Vastly more experienced, better batsmen than those who played for Ireland would have struggled on this strip. 2 valuable points are at stake. India will look to actualise a win without struggle and pain
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 5, 2024 “True they’re playing against an exceptional Indian attack but the shot selection of Ireland’s batters left a lot to be desired,” writes Colum Fordham. “Delany played marvellously against Arshdeep but trying the second run was lunacy when 120 would have been possible. Irresponsibility was the thread running through the whole innings. Great to see Rishab Pant back in the mix. There’ll be fireworks if he gets in, I suspect.”
I think that’s maybe a bit harsh. Playing against that attack on that pitch would scramble most brains, and I’d ascribe the poor shots/decisions to that rather than irresponsibility.
Something to read before the run-chase
India need 97 to winDelany’s punchy unbeaten 26 from 16 balls made the score respectable. I know Ireland were bowled out in double figures, which is rarely respectable in a T20 international, but good luck playing India’s seamers on that pitch. The new ball did all sorts, as did the old ball when Bumrah was wielding it.
WICKET! Ireland 96 all out (White run out 3)All over. After some fine blows from Delany off Arshdeep, including a six over square leg, White is run-out trying to ensure that Delany has strike for the next over.
15th over: Ireland 79-9 (Delany 11, White 1) Bumrah has typical T20 figures: 3-1-6-2. Imagine Bumrah and Joel Garner in a fantasy white-ball team, especially at the death.
WICKET! Ireland 77-9 (Little b Bumrah 14)A defiant cameo from Josh Little is ended by the most emphatic yorker imaginable from Jasprit Bumrah. Joel Garner couldn’t have done it better.
Josh Little is bowled by the peerless Jasprit Bumrah. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images14th over: Ireland 73-8 (Delany 10, Little 14) Ravindra Jadeja comes on for Axar Patel, which means all six of India’s main bowlers will have had at least one over.
Little reverse sweeps firmly for four to move into double figures, and a few singles make it another decent over for Ireland. It sounds daft but, for all their struggles, their score probably isn’t that far below par against India on this pitch.
13th over: Ireland 66-8 (Delany 9, Little 8) That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Delany hooks Pandya into the crowd for six – a top-edge sure, but let’s look in the book. Little slugs four more down the ground, and overall it’s Ireland’s best over of the innings: 14 from it.
“Two more wickets have fallen since I started typing so I best hurry up,” says James Butler. “Given every preview/podcast has droned on about the ‘huge’ Ireland/India expat community I’m surprised how many empty seats there appear to be…”
Who ya gonna believe? (It does look like it’s filling up a bit.)
12th over: Ireland 52-8 (Delany 2, Little 1) Delany survives a stumping referral after missing a slog-sweep.
We should remember that India can skittle any team in the world on better surfaces than this, as they did a few times during the 50-over World Cup. But it does feel like this pitch is sub-standard, and it must be a bit confusing for the new American fans who were promised sixes galore. Only two of the batters have scored six, never mind hit one.
“Having seen the Indian seam attack in action I can’t wait to see how good their fabled spinners are,” says Brian Withington. “Thank goodness they have no batting to speak of or we might conclude the tournament is over before it’s begun.”
WICKET! Ireland 50-8 (McCarthy ct and b Axar 0)Even the spin is unplayable. Axar Patel, surprisingly introduced to the attack, strikes second ball. McCarthy spoons the ball whence it came and Axar moves smartly to his right to take a good return catch.
Axar Patel dives and catches the ball to dismiss Gareth Delany for a duck. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images11th over: Ireland 49-7 (Delany 0, McCarthy 0) McCarthy survives the hat-trick ball, and the next five as well, though he was beaten by at least three of them. A wicket maiden from Hardik.
“New York is super muggy,” says Luke Dealtry. “Surely that’s encouraging all the swing? Or is it just a crummy pitch?”
Bit of both I think. The pitch would be perfect for the first morning of a Test, not so much for a T20. But India have been intimidatingly good.
WICKET! Ireland 49-7 (Adair c Dube b Hardik 3)First ball after drinks, Adair cuts Hardik Pandya to deep point. Hardik is on a hat-trick!
Hardik Pandya takes another wicket for India. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images10th over: Ireland 49-6 (Delany 0, Adair 3) Mark Adair, who smashed 88 in the Lord’s Test last summer, drags his first ball through midwicket for three. That’s drinks.
“Tector getting hand-rapped reminds me of the greatest finger-smashing of all time: John Dye v Barry Wood in 1976,” writes Marcus Abdullahi. “It is gruesome – and even worse than Gooch’s in the Caribbean.”
Blimey, I’ve never seen that before. Nor had I seen John Dye bowl; that’s one of the great run-ups.
WICKET! Ireland 46-6 (Dockrell c Bumrah b Siraj 3)There’s no need for India to bowl spin until at least the 17th over as they have four seamers.
Spoiler alert: there won’t be a 17th over. After two missed chances off the first two balls of the over, Dockrell top-edges Siraj straight to mid-on. The end.
9th over: Ireland 44-5 (Dockrell 1, Delany 0)
WICKET! Ireland 44-5 (Campher c Pant b Pandya 12)Campher launches Pandya over long-on for six, but Pandya lands he decisive blow with the last ball of the over. Campher gets a thin-edge through to Rishabh Pant and walks off, ending a briefly promising knock of 12 from 8 balls.
India take another wicket. Curtis Campher is out for 12. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images8th over: Ireland 36-4 (Campher 5, Dockrell 0) That was the last ball of the over.
WICKET! Ireland 36-4 (Tector c Kohli b Bumrah 2)Majestic bowling from Bumrah. He bounces out Harry Tector with a horrible delivery that hits glove and then helmet before looping to cover. Tector, who tried to hook, was wringing his hand in pain before the catch was taken. He struggled throughout, making 4 from 16 balls.
Jasprit Bumrah celebrates the wicket of Harry Tector. Ireland are deep in the mire. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images7th over: Ireland 32-3 (Tector 1, Campher 4) Curtis Campher flicks his first ball behind square for four, an excellent shot.
WICKET! Ireland 28-3 (Tucker b Hardik 10)Hardik Pandya strikes with his fifth ball, a superb nipbacker that beats Tucker’s pretty drive and knocks back the middle stump. India’s quicks are just too good, certainly on this pitch.
Ireland lose another wicker, Lorcan Tucker is gone for 10. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images6th over: Ireland 26-2 (Tucker 9, Tector 1) Apparently life wasn’t tough enough for the Ireland batters, because here comes Jasprit Bumrah. He starts with a maiden to Tector, including one vicious delivery that rips past the outside edge.
At the end of the over Tector, who was hit on the glove twice by Arshdeep, wolfs down some painkillers.
5th over: Ireland 26-2 (Tucker 9, Tector 1) Tector is hit twice on the glove by nasty deliveries from Arshdeep, who also fires four wides down the leg side. This pitch isn’t fit for purpose, not if that purpose is capturing the American market.
A peculiar 10-ball over from Arshdeep includes three more wides, an inswinger that Tector thick-edges for a single, a seaming lifter that beats Tucker and finally a poor ball that Tucker flat-bats to the cover boundary.
Isn’t there a whole chapter in Netherland the book about how bad pitches are in New York?
Man did not lie.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) June 5, 2024 4th over: Ireland 13-2 (Tucker 5, Tector 0) Tucker is beaten by consecutive jaffas from Siraj that rip off the seam. This is a very lively pitch, same as for the Sri Lanka v South Africa game, and we’re currently watching Test cricket in coloured clothing.
Tucker premeditates a ramp for four, a risky but well played shot, and then plays and misses for the third time in the over. That time he was beaten by the bounce rather than seam movement.
3rd over: Ireland 9-2 (Tucker 1, Tector 0) Ricky Ponting, commentating on the game, thinks batting will be toughest against the new ball and that Ireland need to play accordingly. It is doing all sorts.
WICKET! Ireland 9-2 (Balbirnie b Arshdeep 5)Two in the over for Arshdeep Singh! Balbirnie, who was really struggling with the lateral movement, plays down the wrong line and is cleaned up. He was trying to open the face to work it to third man, but he was nowhere near it. The shot of a man with a scrambled brain.
Arshdeep has Michael Balbirnie in all sorts of bother. Photograph: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC/Getty ImagesWICKET! Ireland 7-1 (Stirling c Pant b Arshdeep 2)Paul Stirling slogs Arshdeep miles in the air and is well taken by Pant, running back towards the boundary. That’s an excellent early wicket for India; on his day, Stirling can pummel any attack.
The Ireland captain is out for just 2 runs. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images2nd over: Ireland 7-0 (Balbirnie 5, Stirling 2) Mohammad Siraj’s first over is even livelier. Balbirnie is beaten by three deliveries in a row, the last of which explodes from a length and is brilliantly stopped by Rishabh Pant. Balbirnie gets a boundary when Siraj strays onto the pads.
1st over: Ireland 3-0 (Balbirnie 1, Stirling 2) Stirling walks down the track to time his first ball through the covers for … two. That would have been four on most grounds.
There’s a bit of swing for Arshdeep, who beats Stirling with a ball that keeps a bit low. Stirling’s second and third attempts to walk down the track are less successful; Arshdeep cramps him for room with one delivery and then zips a bouncer past his noggin. A really good start.
Here we go. The left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh will open the bowling to Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling.
It’s overcast in New York and the pitch has a few green patches, so this looks like a really good toss for India to win – especially as they have four seamers including Hardik Pandya.
The teamsIndia have left out Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal. That means Virat Kohli will open with Rohit Sharma.
No surprise in the Ireland side.
India Rohit (c), Kohli, Suryakumar, Dube, Pant (wk), Hardik, Jadeja, Axar, Bumrah, Arshdeep, Siraj.
Ireland Stirling (c), Balbirnie, Tucker (wk), Tector, Campher, Dockrell, Delany, Adair, McCarthy, Little, White.
India win the toss and bowlThe match referee David Boon originally said that Ireland had won the toss, but it was a genuine mix-up on his part. Paul Stirling called heads, the coin landed tails-up.
“We’re not too sure about the conditions,” says the India captain Rohit Sharma, “so having a score in front of us will be ideal.”
Stirling says Ireland would also have bowled.
“I recently learned that the expression ‘winging it’ refers to under-rehearsed actors rushing into the wings for a butcher’s at a well-thumbed prompt book (the source of all the Shakespeare plays we have) for their next few lines,” writes Gary Naylor. “Those 17th-century prompt books are 21st century iPads in the hands of analysts and powered by AI aren’t they?
“‘Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice
To change true rules for odd inventions.’”
Every industry has its chancers – you’re reading one of them – but my instinct is that the best cricket analysts are worth their weight in World Cups. I’m not sure England would have won in 2019 without Nathan Leamon.
Lads lads lads lads lads
Andy Bull + cricket = the healthy kind of clickbait
The weather forecast
It’s okay. Overcast, but okay. Whoever wins the toss will have a tricky decision. Actually, that’s nonsense – both captains have a tricky decision because they have to work on the assumption they’ll win it, otherwise they’d be winging it, and that’s no way to achieve success in modern society. I suspect whoever wins it will bowl first, but with the nagging feeling that chasing 140 could be slippery.
PreambleGood day one and all. We can all surely agree that, in the last decade or so, the world has taken a very weird turn. In centuries to come, if there are centuries to come, when historians reflect on the years 2014-23, the thing that will cause the most head-scratching is painfully obvious: that India didn’t win a major ICC competition in that time. When you consider their power and their population, their brilliance and their Bumrah, it’s almost unfathomable that the 2013 Champions Trophy was their last major honour.
India’s latest attempt to rule world cricket on the field begins with a match against Ireland in New York. The pitch for the first game here, between Sri Lanka and South Africa, was unusual and awkward, so it would be unwise to make too many predictions. Except maybe a Virat Kohli fifty; that’s usually a safe bet. At the age of 35 he has found another level as a T20 batter, which is a chilling thought for everyone else.
As well as Kohli, India have Rohit Sharma, four brilliant spinners, the advantage of knowing where they will play their semi-final (Guyana, often spin-friendly). They have Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s No1 T20 batter in Suryakumar Yadav, a fit-again Rishabh Pant, and yes I really could go on.
In short, India have all the tools to win the competition. But having the tools has never been the problem.
Play starts at 3.30pm BST, 10.30am in New York