Player of the Match
Player of the Match

After a long wait, a good display of cricket entertained us to bid adieu to the weekend. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll join us again for the second game in a couple of days. For now, it's goodbye from me, Ekanth, my fellow commentator, Deivarayan Muthu, and our scorer, Ranjith P.

Hardik Pandya, India Captain: Great to start the series with a win, fortunate we got a game. Important for our team to start with a win. Umran was kept back after I had a chat with him, he's more comfortable with the older ball and they batted fantastically. So hope he gets an opportunity. Some of the shots Harry played had me in awe. Look forward to him developing and taking Irish cricket again.

Andy Balbirnie, Ireland Captain: When you do your warm-up after getting in, you want to play. Credit to the groundstaff for readying things up and allowing a game to go on. It was high-class bowlers bowling with assisting conditions in the first innings. We weren't as good early on. There is belief in the batting line-up. Harry has been excellent in ODIs and was great here too.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the POTM for his 1 for 11 off 3 overs: It's very difficult to bowl in the cold, I felt like a fingerspinner. But I had to adapt. The atmosphere under Hardik is chill, he gave me freedom to execute my plans. I'm wearing three sweaters so am not comfortable. laughs

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1 for 16 off 3 overs:. There was swing with the new ball, it got better after 5-6 overs. Thought it would get harder with the moisture but didn't. It's good to bowl Test match line and length, glad it worked out. Umran and other youngsters from around the world have made their debut because of the IPL which is great. We get good support wherever we go.

84% of India's bowlers hit a 6-8 metre length, with a majority in the fuller-half, which indicates their accuracy.

amitav: "How is the swing in these conditions ? Still remember in 2007, SRT caught DeVilliers at 1st slip and the umpire thought it swung that much" Swing and seam are high. Yep, a sad reminder of the pre-DRS days.

8: 48 pm: The batters are in smiles, shake hands with the opponents and the umpire. Subdued celebrations among the members in the stands. India's innings started with a blaze from Kishan, but a couple of wickets off consecutive balls from Young looked like it could spice up the 12-over encounter. But Pandya took control when spin came on, Hooda who started circumspectly managed to shift gears successfully. The bowlers were able to hit lengths but gave away the odd-boundary ball, the small boundaries did not help. Props to the pitch that played well, offering bounce and noteworthy seam movement in both the innings.

9.2
4
Little to Hooda, FOUR, Wide of the crease, it's full and is met with a blazing square drive into the gap in front of point.
9.1
4
Little to Hooda, FOUR, Creams a cover drive off a length ball on middle, he stood still and punched it through the gap at cover.

6 to get, one hit? Around the wicket.

END OF OVER:
9 | 9 Runs | IND: 103/3 (7 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 11.44, RRR: 2.33)

  • Dinesh Karthik5 (4b)
  • Deepak Hooda39 (27b)
  • Conor Olphert2-0-18-0
  • Josh Little2-0-31-1
8.6
4
Olphert to Karthik, FOUR, Chops a length ball on fifth stump well past the right of diving point fielder to send it blazing to the fence.
8.6
1w
Olphert to Karthik, 1 wide, Cutter into the pitch is down leg, Karthik misses the flick. The keeper gets it on a bad bounce, ricochets to his right but there is a fielder there.
8.5
0
Olphert to Karthik, no run, Well left, great ball too. Length ball seamed away just shy of the tramline outside off.

nj: "Didn't India lose their review on Hardik's dismissal?" No, umpire's call.

8.4
1
Olphert to Hooda, 1 run, Hard length over the stumps, tapped on to the boot, dribbles in front. The bowler comes in but the batters manage to sneak a single.
8.3
1
Olphert to Karthik, 1 run, Clips a fullish ball on the stumps to deep square leg.
8.3
1w
Olphert to Karthik, 1 wide, Wide bouncer goes a bit too high, DK looked to reach for the pull and let go after realizing it was going away and above.

Pranali: "With 12overs a side Hooda opening is just like India was 1or2 down after 8 overs. Also it looks like he needed a bit of practice against the bouncing moving ball" This pitch would make for a cracking test.

8.2
0
Olphert to Karthik, no run, Full around off, driven back to the bowler.

Wide slip in.

8.1
1
Olphert to Hooda, 1 run, Back of length outside off, open-faced push to deep point.

DK comes in to chants of, you guessed it, "DK, DK!"

END OF OVER:
8 | 16 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 94/3 (16 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 11.75, RRR: 4.00)

  • Deepak Hooda37 (25b)
  • Josh Little2-0-31-1
  • Conor Olphert1-0-9-0
7.6
W
Little to Pandya, OUT, LBW given after Pandya tried to flick it aerially across the line! India review. It was a good length ball that came in after pitching around middle, the back leg is bent and the ball hit over the knee-roll. It's missing the bat, pitched on middle and clipped leg stump. So Pandya has to go. The movement off the pitch has been incredible on this track. It earns Little his first scalp.

HH Pandya lbw b Little 24 (26m 12b 1x4 3x6) SR: 200.00

Jay: "Thinking of all the NRIs I've met in Ireland during my multiple trips there. I can only imagine what it must mean to them to see the Indian Cricket team come to Ireland."

7.6
1w
Little to Pandya, 1 wide, Back of length beats the clip but it's down leg.
7.5
6
Little to Pandya, SIX, Slapped high, straight, and far! It was a back of length ball outside off, the front leg was out the way to allow room and easy access.
7.4
1
Little to Hooda, 1 run, Length outside off, driven off the outside-half of the full-faced bat to the left of cover point.

Over the wicket.

India 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st30DJ HoodaIshan Kishan
2nd0SA YadavDJ Hooda
3rd64DJ HoodaHH Pandya
4th17KD KarthikDJ Hooda