IRE vs IND, T20I Series: Bumrah stuns critics with strong comeback, Krishna dazzles on debut

IRE vs IND, T20I Series: Jasprit Bumrah & Prasidh Krishna’s strong comeback help India’s hopes in Asia Cup 2023. Jasprit Bumrah gets player of the series on Ireland tour.

India clinch the series by 2-0 as third match interrupted by rain (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

The 3rd and the final T20I between the hosts Ireland and India that was scheduled to take place at the Malahide stadium in Dublin was deemed a no result, without the toss being done, due to persistent rains. As a result, India have won the 3-match series 2-0, having already taken an unassailable lead by clinching the opening 2 games in contrasting manner.

Though Ireland ran India close in the first game, where the visitors won just by 2 runs through the DLS method, there are some positives for India to take from this short tour to Ireland.

Jasprit Bumrah’s performance as the captain of Indian team

When the squad was announced for this series, the selectors surprised everyone by naming the returning Jasprit Bumrah as the skipper for the Indian side. Bumrah has earlier led the Indian team for a solitary Test match at Birmingham against England, back in 2022 in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma and his deputy KL Rahul.

Bumrah was given the task to lead a young Indian side in Ireland as most of the senior members are gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup in Sri Lanka & Pakistan. The pacer didn’t disappoint in his maiden T20I tourney as skipper, as he marshalled his inexperienced bowling attack well in the two matches.

His decision making was spot on and he got the best out of all the resources he had. This will give the upcoming World Cup 2023 host the much needed variety in the leadership cadre ahead of the mega event. He and the team management gave chances to almost all the players who are most likely in the fray to play the 2024 T20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies & United States.

Read More: Asia Cup 2023: India opt for Kuldeep over Chahal, pacers get vote of confidence from team management

Bumrah led India to series win against Ireland (Images: ©BCCI/Twitter)

The return of Jasprit Bumrah

Along with being the skipper of the team, Bumrah had the added responsibility of making a strong comeback post his year-long injury layoff. He had undergone back surgery a few months ago and was undergoing rehab, followed by rigorous training at the NCA to get himself back to full fitness ahead of the World Cup.

This tour was going to be a testing ground for the champion bowler to prove his match fitness and form, and Bumrah didn’t disappoint upon his return to competitive cricket. He started with a 2-wicket over in his opening spell and continued to hit good speeds throughout the series.

What was more impressive was that his pace and accuracy with slower balls remained intact. It seemed he had not lost even an inch while being away from the game for so long, and these are certainly great signs for Indian cricket moving forward.

To explain his return in brief, Bumrah bowled 2 overs in the death (19th and 20th over each) across the 2 games which resulted in him giving away just 1 run, including a maiden. We can argue that the opposition was Ireland, but the way Bumrah bowled was a treat for the fans. He consistently varied his pace, bowled yorkers, and was not allowing the batsman any opportunity to score runs.

Bumrah had a great debut series as a T20I skipper for India, he finished with a figure of 4/39 (2/24 and 2/15) from 8 overs at an ER of just under 5. He was named Player of the Series for his efforts.

Read More: IRE vs IND, 2nd T20I, 2023: India back to winning ways in T20Is; take unassailable 2-0 lead

The debut of Prasidh Krishna in T20Is

Another bowler who has made a triumphant comeback after a major injury is Prasidh Krishna. The pacer was out of action for close to a year due to a stress fracture and he too was practicing in the NCA to regain his fitness.

He had a decent debut game wherein he picked up 2 wickets giving 32 runs with his last over ending up being a bit expensive – in which he went for 15 runs. But apart from that, he bowled quick with a lot of pace and followed up with another good performance in the 2nd game where he picked 2/29 in his 4 overs.

What’s Next?

India will next embark on the road to the World Cup with the first stop being the Asia Cup that starts on August 30. India will start their campaign on September 2 against Pakistan in what is expected to be an interesting and highly charged contest.

Both Prasidh and Bumrah have shown that they have attained full match fitness, but the real trial by fire will take place in the Asia Cup. The duo have successfully marked their comeback in the T20I format, but the ODI-format Asia Cup will be a different ball game altogether.

Read More: IRE vs IND, 1st T20I, 2023: Jasprit Bumrah shines on comeback; India win by 2 runs (DLS)