Ireland completed a historic 2-0 T20I series sweep against India after defending a modest total of 154 at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Sunday (June 28).
Despite a dramatic final over where debutant Prince Yadav smashed a six on the last ball, India finished their innings at 153/9, falling agonisingly short by just a single run. The reigning T20 world champions had lost the series opener by 34 runs.
The results shattered India’s remarkable 16-series unbeaten streak in T20Is. It also marked a disastrous start to Shreyas Iyer's tenure as full-time T20I captain.
In his column for Sportstar, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar called the Ireland series one of the lowest points in India’s cricket history. He blamed the loss on overconfidence, stating that the Men in Blue treated the series casually.
“Sunday, June 28, will go down as one of the worst days in Indian cricket. Losing a game of cricket is one thing, but to lose a series, albeit a two-match series, also depends on whom you lose to. There are many low points in Indian cricket, and I have been a part of some, but to lose to Ireland has to be one of the lowest in the history of Indian cricket. If Ireland had played exceptional cricket, then it would have lessened the blow. It was simply overconfidence and a sense of casualness that let India down, and that’s why the sadness,” Gavaskar wrote.
“It was very much like West Indies in the final of the 1983 World Cup. India’s bowlers bowled smart, tight lines and lengths, and there was that outstanding, game-turning catch by the skipper, Kapil Dev, to get rid of Viv Richards, who looked intent on finishing the game in a canter. When you look at West Indies batters’ dismissals, you will see the same overconfidence and casualness that we saw from the Indian batters in both games against Ireland.
“Playing according to the situation is such an important aspect of any sport, especially cricket, but almost all the Indian batters tried to live up to their image and, on pitches that had a little extra carry and bounce, found that they were dismissed very easily by some good catching allied to smart bowling,” he explained.
After being outplayed in the first T20I, many fans and experts expected to see teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI for the second game.
Instead, the Indian team management handed debut caps to pacer Prince Yadav and batting all-rounder Suryansh Shedge in a must-win fixture, keeping Sooryavanshi on the bench.
According to Gavaskar, the Ireland series a perfect opportunity for the Indian team management to blood in Sooryavanshi. He strongly advocated for the 15-year-old to debut against England.
“While the eventual result may justify not picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, this series was the ideal opportunity to give the young man a taste of international cricket. Hopefully, they will not waste any more time and will play him in the very first game against England in a few days’ time. Of course, the young man could fail, but if he gets going, then he will take the game away from the hosts and give India the chance to start the series with a bang,” Gavaskar stated.
India will play five T20Is on the tour of England, slated to begin on Wednesday (July 1) at Chester-le-Street.
