The Village Pitch Report: Having suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the West Indies, the Indian cricket team is gearing up for another T20I series, this time against Ireland. The first match is scheduled for Friday, August 18 at The Village, Melahide. The upcoming squad for the Ireland series will witness a few changes, featuring both fresh faces and players making their return. Remarkably, this marks the third T20I series between the two nations.
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Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian side, making his much-awaited return after a year. The team roster will also incorporate newcomers like Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma. Furthermore, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, and Sanju Samson are slated to join the team for the Ireland series. Meanwhile, the long-awaited comebacks of Shivam Dube, Prasidh Krishna, and Washington Sundar add to the anticipation of the upcoming matches.
The Village Pitch Report
Examining recent T20 records at the Village Cricket Stadium, it becomes evident that the pitch strongly favors batsmen. The average first-innings score stands at 167, hinting at an expectation of high-scoring encounters in the imminent 3-match T20 series in Malahide. The bowlers might find the surface less supportive, although spinners could play a crucial role during the middle overs.
Historically, chasing totals hasn’t posed significant difficulty at The Village Dublin. In the last T20I at this location, Ireland showcased a commendable pursuit, nearly achieving an impressive feat by reaching 225 against India. However, India managed to restrict the hosts to 221, securing a slim 4-run victory. Consequently, opting to bowl first appears prudent in the upcoming IND vs IRE T20 on the Dublin pitch.
IND vs IRE: Squads
India: Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna
Ireland: Paul Stirling (captain), Lorcan Tucker (wicketkeeper), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Ben White, Theo Van Woerkom, Craig Young
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