IND vs IRE: 'We Were Sort of Surprised'- India Cricketer Praises Quality Irish Batting After High-scoring Contest

On Tuesday in Dublin, India gave Ireland a lofty 226 runs to win and tie the two-match T20I series. The Irish batters’ astonishing response, which was ignited by their skipper Andrew Balbirnie, may not have been anticipated by the foreigners. 

The hosts restarted their pursuit and almost caught the target after a hiccup in the middle overs.

No Doubt About Quality Of Ireland Batters: Harshal Patel

Their daring made quite an impact on Harshal Patel, who was all praise for the Irish hitters, even if they ultimately concluded at 221/5. 

“They played some exceptional shots and we were sort of surprised the way they batted today. There’s no doubt about the quality of the Ireland batters,” Harsha said after the match as India wrapped up the series 2-0. 

India set a high 226 runs target for Ireland on Tuesday in Dublin, giving them a chance to win and level the two-match T20I series. The visitors may not have expected the Irish hitters’ astounding reaction, which was started by their skipper Andrew Balbirnie. 

After a blip in the middle overs, the hosts resumed their pursuit and came dangerously close to catching the objective.

Umran Malik Held His Nerve: Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel, who was full of admiration for the Irish hitters despite the fact that they finally finished at 221/5, was quite moved by their audacity. 

“We were comfortable. When you get 225, you defend it most of the times. They played some really good shots, the wicket was a belter, the outfield was fast, we made a few mistakes, they got close, but we held our nerves and closed the game.

The momentum was on the batting side but he (Umran Malik) held his nerve,” he said. 

Andrew Balbirnie Disappointed With Loss Against India

Although his squad achieved a lot of excellent things with the bat, Balbirnie admitted it was disheartening to come out on the losing end. 

“We are all pretty good, we did a lot of good stuff with the bat. We wanted to express and we did that. Bitterly disappointed, a bitter pill to swallow,” he said. 

India won the opening T20I by seven wickets, giving them a 1-0 lead after the match was postponed by rain on Sunday. 

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