India won the T20I series against Ireland with a win in the second T20 on Tuesday. Despite making a huge 225 runs in the first innings, Ireland got extremely close to the target but lost by just four runs in the end.
In the last over, just 17 runs were required by the Irish side and the Indian captain Hardik Pandya handed the ball to Umran Malik. Playing in his just the second international match, the pressure must have been immense on the new bowler but the Indian captain has come up with an explanation for the decision.
“I was trying to keep all the pressure out of my equation. I wanted to be in the present and I backed Umran. He has pace, with his pace it’s always going to be tough to get 18 runs. They played some amazing shots, they batted very well, credit to them and credit to our bowlers for holding their nerves,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation.
Umran Malik was able to halt the Irish assault despite getting hit for three fours in the last over. The Indian captain also applauded the crowd for their support and the kind of atmosphere they created.
While praising the fans, he said, “The crowd, their favourite boys were Dinesh and Sanju. Great experience to experience this side of the world. A lot of support comes for us, we try to entertain them and hope we did that. Thanks to everyone who supported us,” said the India captain.
“As a child, it’s always a dream to play for your country. Leading and getting the first win was special, now winning the series is special as well. Happy for Deepak and Umran,” he added.
The Indian white-ball team would now join the Test side in England who are preparing for the upcoming Test match against England on July 1. In other news, Rohit Sharma has been hit with COVID and is doubtful for the Test.
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