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.
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
nj: "Didn't India lose their review on Hardik's dismissal?" No, umpire's call.
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.
Wide slip in.
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
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."
Over the wicket.