India is all set for English sojourn
Dublin, June 26: India would do well not to let their guard down when they take on a lowly but effervescent Ireland in a two-match T20 rubber, starting on Wednesday.
The games will mark the onset of a long summer for the Indian team, with sterner tests against England to follow this short series in Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin.
England hammered Australia 5-0 in an ODI series and most of their top players are in sublime form.
India got down to practice in London on Monday. While the contingent had arrived from Delhi on Saturday, this was a first training session on-tour, held at the Merchants Taylor School cricket ground. Reportedly, the players were split into three groups while practising all facets of the game. Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar headed the pace group along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, while a few others practised fielding drills. Among the batsmen, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan enjoyed a first stint together. Skipper Virat Kohli and the in-form K.L. Rahul batted together in adjacent nets against spin and pace, respectively.
While Rahul has been a constant part of the T20I squad, Ajinkya Rahane’s omission from the ODI squad means that he is once again a contender for the number four spot when the threematch series against England begins on July 12. Since the tour of South Africa, this is the first time a fullstrength Indian team will be seen in action. Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mahendra Singh Dhoni were rested for the T20 tri-series in Sri Lanka in March. Kohli, Kumar and Bumrah also missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru recently. With Rahul in contention for a starting spot in the middle order, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik will jostle for two spots.
As part of the fullstrength Indian side, the three had featured in the T20 series against South Africa. Raina had been used as a pinch-hitting, aggressive number three option, but the current situation might warrant a rethink. Raina provides a sixth bowling option as well.
India would also not want to drop Dinesh Karthik, who is in sizzling form since March.
It could mean that Pandey eventually warms the bench, despite scoring 255 runs in eight T20Is this year against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at an average of 85. On the bowling front, Kohli would be tempted to field leg-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, giving them an early taste of conditions here.
However, the pace department is an area of concern as the second-choice fast bowlers have not enjoyed enough game time. WE CAN BEAT INDIA:
IRELAND CAPTAIN Captain Gary Wilson says Ireland are capable of beating India, having surprised top teams in the past.
He underlined Ireland’s success against Pakistan and England (in 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cups respectively) and said that they will take heart from the past when taking on the Men in Blue.
“They are a very fine T20 side but they have to bat and we have to bowl. If we bowl up to our best, they still have to play that no matter, whether it is Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma or whoever it is in the world,” said Wilson on Tuesday.
“On any day, anyone has the opportunity to beat anyone else and that’s the beauty of sport, the beauty of cricket. We have had some great results against England in Bengaluru and against Pakistan in the Caribbean. So tomorrow we will go in with the belief that we can turn them over,” said Wilson on Tuesday.