Finally, the Indian team is about to begin its World Cup journey, and you all might have several concerns. What will be the playing eleven? Will Virat Kohli play? What will be the team’s batting order? Will the team go with more pacers or spinners? We’ll clear all these doubts for you in this video. we’ll discuss India’s first match in the World Cup, against Ireland. We’ll analyze both teams’ playing elevens, the pitch behavior, and identify five Irish players who, despite their form, possess the talent to pose a threat to India. Let’s start the video.
First, let’s talk about the pitch report. The match will take place at the NASA County International Cricket Stadium in New York. This is the same pitch where India played a warm-up match against Bangladesh, and South Africa played against Sri Lanka. The crucial point is that bowlers had an upper hand on this surface, so the same track might be used. The surface used in the first match against Bangladesh had some movement in the initial overs, and the second match had movement, bounce, and a bit of turn. If this surface is used, it could be difficult for the batsmen, and Ireland might surprise India, especially if India bats first.
Another important point regarding the pitch report is that both matches so far indicate that it won’t be a very good track for batsmen. The ball might come onto the bat more easily after five or six overs, allowing batsmen to score, but there will be some movement early on. The outfield is also not well-maintained, so running between the wickets will be crucial as boundaries will be hard to come by. If India bats first, they might only manage 170-180 runs. If Ireland bats first, they might score even less, possibly under 100 if the pitch behaves like toothpaste (extremely slow and sticky).
The pitch is a drop-in pitch, made elsewhere and brought here. It was made by the curator of Adelaide, but it doesn’t resemble Adelaide’s pitches at all, where scores of 200 are common. Moving on to match statistics, Sri Lanka scored 77, South Africa took 16 overs to score 80/4. Pace took 9 wickets, spin 4. Movement was evident in both innings. India scored 182 with some movement in the initial overs, while Bangladesh managed 122 in 20 overs, with pace taking 8 wickets and spin 3. There was some turn, but more movement and bounce on this track.
Now, let’s preview the Indian team. Although their performance hasn’t been showcased yet, we expect it to be excellent, and hope to win the World Cup. Changes from the warm-up match include Virat Kohli returning and possibly opening. The Indian team will likely go with three main pacers: Siraj, Arshdeep, and Bumrah. The probable playing eleven is displayed on the screen. Shivam Dube might play for his bowling backup and spin-hitting ability, while Yashasvi might be left out. On slow tracks, one pacer (either Arshdeep or Siraj) might be replaced by Chahal or Axar Patel, with Axar being preferred due to his warm-up performance. The batting order might be flexible with Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya potentially moving up. Bumrah is confirmed for the death overs, possibly along with either Siraj or Arshdeep. The fifth bowling option could be shared between Pandya and Jadeja.
Next, let’s preview the Ireland team. Their recent performance hasn’t been great, particularly against strong teams. Although they might consider the conditions similar to their home ground, the pitch here has both movement and sticky nature. Ireland’s chance to surprise India lies in early movement by bowlers like Joshua Little and Mark Adair, who can take quick wickets. The expected playing eleven for Ireland is displayed on the screen. Young, Little, Adair, and Delany are expected to bowl the majority of the overs, with Ben White and Campher contributing as needed. For death overs, Adair and Little are likely candidates.
Now, let’s identify five Irish players who could pose a threat to India. First is Joshua Little, known for his dangerous movement, particularly against strong batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Kohli. Second is Mark Adair, another swing bowler with additional skills like cutters and yorkers, who can be troublesome in moving conditions. Third is Craig Young, known for his pace and bounce, and effective performances against big teams. Fourth is Paul Stirling, who can provide unexpected explosive performances despite his current form. Finally, Harry Tector, a consistent hitter who, although not a major threat on moving tracks, has the potential to surprise.
These are the five key players who could pose a threat to India, and their collective performance will be crucial for Ireland’s chances.
