IND vs IRE: "Just Periods Of Good Cricket From Us In Patches" - Paul Stirling After Series Loss Against India

Ireland captain Paul Stirling talked about the loss his side faced in the T20I series against India. He admitted that they played good cricket only in patches but they will be taking a lot of learnings from the defeats in two games. 

Ireland suffered a disappointing 2-0 series loss against India in the T20I series. The third game between the teams was abandoned due to the rain and it meant that the hosts didn’t get a chance to make a comeback and avoid the whitewash. 

The series kickstarted with a narrow defeat for Ireland as rain played spoilsport. The Paul Stirling-led side were asked to bat first and they posted a total of 139 runs on the board. With the ball, they chipped in quickly and removed two Indian wickets for just 47 runs. Rain didn’t allow the game to take place further but the visitors were 2 runs ahead as per DLS and were crowned winners. 

The second game was a horrendous outing for them. Ireland were asked to bowl first and they conceded 185 runs. It was expected that they would put up a better show with the bat but they lost wickets in clusters. But a few valuable contributions took them to 152 runs, bagging a 33-run loss. 

Irish skipper Paul Stirling said that it’s a buildup for them for the next T20 World Cup. He said that although it was good for them to play in front of crowds, it would’ve been better had the third game proceeded and they would’ve tried new players. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he explained: 

“Just periods of good cricket from us in patches. Lot of positives, but it’s about finishing those games off. Hopefully, we’ll take these learnings. Brilliant to have India over and play in front of good crowds here. Would’ve been happier if we could’ve got some fresh faces out there tonight. It’s a buildup now for the next sort of 10 months.”

IND vs IRE: Paul Stirling’s Ireland to face England next 

After the T20I series loss against India, Ireland will now be moving to England for the three-match ODI series. The Paul Stirling-led side haven’t qualified for the ICC World Cup 2023 but it’ll be a great exposure for their players to play against a strong team like England. 

The first game between Ireland and England will be played from 20th September followed by the second game to be played on 23rd September. The last match of the series is slated to take place on 26 September.