Bumrah enjoys stunning first over on long-awaited India return in T20 win over Ireland
MALAHIDE, Ireland (AP) — Jasprit Bumrah bagged two wickets in his first over of international cricket in 11 months as India beat Ireland in a rain-affected Twenty20 on Friday.
India chose to bowl first and Ireland, 59-6 at one point, reached 139-7.
The visitor was 47-2 after 6.5 overs of the chase when rain forced the players from the field. They never returned and India won by 2 runs on the DLS method.
The match ticked almost all of India's boxes.
Bumrah returned from the longest break in his career following a back injury with a stunning first over. The first bowler to captain India in T20s, he conceded a first-ball boundary to Andy Balbirnie then bowled him the next ball, and got No. 3 Lorcan Tucker to edge behind in the same over. Bumrah finished with 2-24 as he prepares for the Cricket World Cup in India.
Bumrah said he was too busy minding the team as stand-in captain to feel nervous.
“Felt very good (out there),” he said. “So many sessions I did at the (National Cricket Academy) and played a lot of practice games that it didn't feel like I missed out on a lot or was doing something new. The weather was a little helpful as well."
Fellow fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, in his T20 debut and also coming back from back surgery after a year out, got a wicket in his first over — Harry Tector — and a second wicket in his second — George Dockrell — both to catches. Prasidh took 2-32.
The other India debutant, Rinku Singh, didn't get to bat. He was the next man in.
Medium-pacer Arshdeep Singh, playing his first game for India since February 2020, yorkered Curtis Campher for 39 runs off 33 balls.
Campher and Barry McCarthy revived Ireland with a 57-run stand in seven overs.
McCarthy plundered 14 runs off Prasidh in the 17th over and 21 runs off Singh in the last over for a career-best 51 not out from 33 balls.
Bumrah, Prasidh and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets each. Shivam Dube was also given an over to bowl in his first India appearance since February 2020.
The stunted seven-over chase was eventful.
Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a couple of boundaries in the first over bowled by Mark Adair, and survived a comic run-out chance in the second over.
Jaiswal ended up standing at the same end as Ruturaj Gaikwad, who called for the run, but neither was run out because of poor Ireland throws.
Gaikwad's pulled six off McCarthy in the fifth over lifted India above the DLS par score, and Jaiswal hooked Josh Little for a six in the sixth over.
Seamer Craig Young got the wickets of Jaiswal for 24 off 23 and Tilak Varma in successive balls but the rain prevented him from finishing the over.
The second of three T20s is on Sunday.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
