IRE vs IND: 3rd T20I Preview – Cleansweep on India’s mind

India and Ireland are all set to lock horns with each other in the third and final T20I of the series on Wednesday, August 23 at The Village, Dublin. India have already won the series having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. After winning the first T20I by two runs via the DLS method, Indian batters put up a strong show in the second game.

After being put in to bat first, they posted a good score of 185/5 in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of a half-century from Ruturaj Gaikwad (58 off 43). Apart from him, Sanju Samson (40 off 26) and Rinku Singh (38 off 21) also contributed with the bat. In the second innings, Jasprit Bumrah (2/15), Prasidh Krishna (2/29) and Ravi Bishnoi (2/37) were once again amongst the wickets.

The trio were successful in restricting Ireland to 152/8 in the second innings and set up a 33-run victory for India. The Jasprit Bumrah-led side will now look to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the final game and will also be keen to test their bench strength.

On the other hand, Ireland will look to salvage some pride by winning the last game and avoiding a whitewash. The Paul Stirling-led side were good in patches during the second T20I, however, they lacked the collective team effort to bring India under pressure. Andrew Balbirnie was the lone warrior with the bat with his marvellous innings of 72 (51) while last Barry McCarthy picked 2/36 in his four-over spell.

Pitch Report

The pitch has been good for batting in the first two games and is likely to remain the same in the final T20I as well. Spinners will get some assistance in the middle overs while seamers will pose a challenge with the new ball. All in all, the surface will have something in it for everyone and it’s up to the players to make full use of the conditions presented to them.

Venue details: Malahide, Dublin

Last T20I match at the venue: Ireland vs India, 2023, 2nd T20I | Result: India won by 33 runs

Probable playing XI for Ireland vs India clash:

Ireland

Having lost the series, Ireland will be eager to make a strong comeback in the third game and save themselves from a whitewash. There might be some changes on the cards for the home side.

Probable XI: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell/Ross Adair, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Joshua Little/Fionn Hand, Benjamin White

India

Having already sealed the series in the second T20I, the Jasprit Bumrah-led side will be tempted to test their bench strength. Hence, some new faces can be given a chance in the Indian XI.

Probable XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Shahbaz Ahmed, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh/Avesh Khan, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Ravi Bishnoi