Ruturaj Gaikwad, seamers guide India to 33-run win over Ireland in second T20I to bag series

The Indian Team beat Ireland by 33 runs on Sunday in the second T20I to win the match and take the series home. While opener Ruturaj starred with the bat, hitting 58, seamers Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna picked two wickets each.

The second T20I got underway after Irelandelected to bowlfirst after winning the toss. Going in with an unchanged XI for this game, the Indian openers got off to a flying start.

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal got out in the fourth over, while Tilak Varma failed to get going in the second straight match, getting out on one.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and keeper-batter Sanju Samson got them back on track. The pair upped the ante after the Powerplay, with Sanju being the aggressor, hitting a 26-ball 40, including one six and five fours. Ruturaj completed his fifty soon after but got out to seamer Barry McCarthy on a well-made 58.

Coming onto bat for the first time in international cricket, Rinku Singh took his time before opening his arms during the fag end of the innings. Alongside returning Shivam Dube, Rinku hit a few sixes in the penultimate over, as he scored 38 from 21 balls, with three sixes and two fours to his name.

India, after 20 overs, scored 185 for five.

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All eyes were again on Captain Jasprit Bumrah, who, upon his return to international after 11 months, picked two wickets in his first over in the previous game. Though he didn’t strike this time, lanky Prasidh Krishna did the honours, picking two wickets in his first over.

Leggie Ravi Bishnoi bowled Harry Tector on seven, reducing Ireland to 126 for six inside the Powerplay. Opener Andrew Balbirnie stood tall, smashing bowlers to all parts of the ground.

When it looked like he and Curtis Campher could guide the home team to a famous win this time, Bishnoi returned to dismiss Campher on 18.

Another partnership between Balbirnie and all-rounder Dockrell kept Ireland in the game, but that couldn’t flourish either, as a mix-up saw the end of Dockrell on 13.

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh picked the big wicket in Balbirnie on 72, while Bumrah picked McCarthy to further dent the home side’s chances of winning.

The Indian captain completed the formalities by picking up two wickets and helped his team win the match by 33 runs.

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