Ireland vs India: Hardik Pandya Explains Why He Gave Crucial Final Over To Umran Malik

29.06.2022 - 06:23 sports.ndtv.com

Hardik Pandya-led Indian cricket team on Tuesday won a nail-biting match by four runs against Ireland despite putting a mammoth total of 225 runs on the board in the second T20I at The Village in Dublin.

Ireland batters were scoring boundaries and almost came close to chasing down the total, needing 17 runs from the final over to pull off a huge upset.

India captain Hardik Pandya explained the reason for giving young speedster Umran Malik the responsibility of bowling the last crucial over of the match. "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.

cricket India Cricket Team Paul Stirling Hardik Pandya Andrew Balbirnie Harry Tector Umran Malik Ireland India Dublin Sanju

Pacer Umran Malik made his India debut in the T20 International (T20I) series against Ireland and then also played in the three-match T20I series against England. However, he has not found a place in either the ODI or T20I squad for India's upcoming series against West Indies. Former India batter Aakash Chopra took to Twitter to note his exclusion and said that the team management must have already spoken to the youngster as it is "all about nurturing his talent".

Watch: Umran Malik Sends Derbyshire Batter's Middle Stump Flying During India's Tour Match

Umran Malik and his extreme pace are no more a secret to anyone. The bowler caught limelight with his speed in the Indian Premier League in 2021 before putting a further better performance in the next edition. The IPL 2022 season saw Malik picking 22 wickets across 14 games with his best figures being 5/25. The performance helped Umran get an entry to the Indian squad for the series against Ireland before earning another call-up for the nation's upcoming white-ball series against England.

Watch: Umran Malik Holds His Nerve To Defend 8 Off 3 In Last-Ball Thriller vs Ireland

Ireland gave India a run for their money despite the visitors posting a daunting total of 225/7 in the second T20I at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin. Displaying bravery in their batting, the Andy Balbirnie-led side pushed the match to the final delivery, but ended up four runs short. With George Dockrell and Mark Adair both in an explosive mood, India captain Hardik Pandya turned to young pacer Umran Malik, playing just his second game for the country, for the final over, with Ireland needing 17 off it.

Watch: Crowd In Ireland Goes Wild When Hardik Pandya Names Sanju Samson In India Playing XI

India sealed a thrilling four-run win over Ireland in the second T20I to seal the two-match series on Tuesday. India made three changes for the second T20I against Ireland, with Sanju Samson, Harshal Patel and Ravi Bishnoi getting a nod in the playing XI. As India captain Hardik Pandya announced the changes in the playing XI, the crowd present at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin went wild upon hearing Samson's inclusion in the team. Even Hardik had a smile on his face after hearing the crowd's roar.

'With his pace, it's difficult to hit runs': Hardik Pandya reveals his decision to hand Umran Malik last crucial over of the match

Dublin. Ireland batters were scoring boundaries and almost came close to chasing down the total, needing 17 runs from the final over to pull off a huge upset. India captain Hardik Pandya explained the reason for giving young speedster Umran Malik the responsibility of bowling the last crucial over of the match.

Deepak Hooda, Umran Malik Shine As India Clinch Series 2-0 vs Ireland

Deepak Hooda hit a master-class maiden century as India survived a mighty scare before defeating Ireland by four runs in a nail-bitting high-scoring second T20 International to sweep the two-match series on Tuesday. Hooda scored 104 off 57 balls to become only the fourth Indian to hit a T20 International ton, while Sanju Samson contributed 77 off 42 balls to power India to a mammoth 225 for seven after opting to bat.