2nd T20I IND VS IRE: Arshdeep Singh & Ruturaj Gaikwad Orchestrate India To Series Win

India is in Ireland on a winning spree. India Vs Ireland, 2nd T20 ends with a delightful note for the Indian side which sealed the series victory against the hosts. As was expected Ruturaj Gaikwad proved instrumental for Indian batting side accumulating a solid half century.

Rinku Singh along with Arshdeep Singh and Ruturaj Gaikwad blitz fire for India to win second T20I stealing the series against Ireland at their home ground. An impressive batting prowess was displayed by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rinku Singh which steered India to seal the T20I series with a match still to be played in Malahide, Dublin on Sunday, August 20. Ruturaj came up with the best score in his T20I career so far while Rinku in his India debut innings unleashed the finisher’s role expected out of him.

Indian side on the Dublin Cricket Ground amassed 185 runs out of the 20 overs with a loss of 5 wickets whereas Ireland breathed their last with accumulating only 152 runs losing 8 wickets. The smiling skipper Jasprit Bumrah took 2 wickets giving away only 15 runs out of his 4 overs’ stint. Beating Ireland by 33 runs, India nullified the performance of the top batter from the home side, Andy Balbirnie’s 72 runs out of 51 balls. The Indian Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 58 runs came out of 43 balls whereas Rinku Singh played an impressive knock of 38 runs off just 21 balls. Indian bowling attack was also not bad as Prasiddh Krishna also took 2 wickets like his captain but gave away more runs and his figures were 2/29 (4).

It was a Rutu-Rinku Show

During the 2nd T20I against Ireland, hitting his second T20 fifty, Ruturaj along with Rinku’s blitz in the death overs led India to a commanding score of one hundred and eighty five runs losing five wickets. Their contributions brought India to a favorable position after the visitors’ 2-run victory in the rain-affected opening match. Trying to build on their momentum, India began briskly with Yashasvi Jaiswal who displayed aggression, scoring 18 (11 balls) with a six and a couple of fours.

Nevertheless, the initial momentum was marred as Jaiswal disappointed leaving India at 35 for 2, with an attempt to pull Craig Young while getting caught by Curtis Campher at deep. Tilak Varma’s unfortunate struggles with his bat continued and again he fell pray to a mistimed pull off Barry McCarthy which was grasped near the ropes by George Dockrell. Quenching the thirst of stability and momentum for the team, Ruturaj Gaikwad along with the wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson joined forces in a committed partnership.

Samson shine continues

Orchestrating a pivotal seventy one run stand for the 3rd wicket, by the 12th over Gaikwad and Samson propelled India past the 100-run mark. A composed inning by Samson of forty runs from twenty six deliveries, embellished with a six and five fours, displayed his ability to build innings for the team. Contributing 58 runs, Gaikwad anchored the innings with a well calculated approach while reaching to his fifty mark with a powerful pull shot for six off leg-spinner White. Gaikwad’s innings was marked by a well-timed pull shot for six, dispatched right over the bowler’s head. Unfortunately he succumbed to one of the McCarthy’s deliveries, which was not missed by a charging Harry Tector at mid-off. And then India was at 129 for 4.

Shivam supported Rinku well 

Now expectations rose with the set stage for power-hitting and then came Rinku Singh with Shivam Dube. Both of them capitalized on the momentum in the penultimate overs. Rinku’s onslaught in the final over witnessed him smashing two towering sixes and a boundary. This did demoralize the Irish bowlers. Then Irish all-rounder Mark Adair’s final over saw a barrage of runs, as India garnered an additional 20 runs while concluding Indian innings at a huge pile of 185 runs.

Pressure kills on the ground too

Ireland under pressure of a formidable target to chase did not look comfortable from the ball one. Their chase was also marred by early setbacks and captain Paul Stirling himself left for the pavilion on a duck. Ravi Bishnoi and Prasidh Krishna looked wreaking havoc and they left the host struggling at 63 for 4. A 72-run valiant effort by Andy Balbirnie’s kept Ireland’s hopes alive, but Arshdeep Singh quashed their aspirations with his milestone 50th T20I wicket ultimately sent him home.

Tight bowling after right batting 

It was mainly India’s tight bowling after a right batting performance which restricted Ireland to 152 for 8 wickets. Sealing India’s series win with a match to spare, the display of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh and skipper Boomrah himself was what dominated the bat-ball contest which left Ireland to regroup before the final match of the series on August 23 in the Dublin ground itself.