With a convincing victory in the second game, the Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian side has sealed the series. India and Ireland will meet again in the third and final T20I of the series at the same venue in Dublin on Wednesday, August 23.
The men in blue escaped in the first T20I by two runs on DLS method and then claimed a 33-run win in the second to an unassailable 2-0 lead. Will they complete a clean sweep or will the hosts be able to create history? Read below our IRE vs IND match prediction..
The second match witnessed India put on a decent display of batting. They lost a couple of wickets in the powerplay but managed to keep the run-rate steady. They posted a strong total of 185/5 in 20 overs.
In response, Ireland couldn't really get going and lost three wickets inside the powerplay. They couldn't keep up with the required rate and eventually fell short by 33 runs.
Also read: Most Runs in Asia Cup: An all-time list
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IRE vs IND 3rd T20I match preview
Ireland
Ireland would have felt unlucky to not get a full game in the first fixture but they were outplayed in the second game. Joshua Little needed to step up with that ball but was instead taken to the cleaners.
None of the bowlers could make a big impact as they conceded 185. Chasing the target, their top order failed yet again. Andy Balbirnie gave a fight with 72 in 51 deliveries but it wasn't enough.
The home side has lacked batting firepower in both games this series and it could prompt them to add another batting option. Gareth Delany seems the most obvious fix as he can also bowl leg-spin. Ben White is likely to miss out in this fixture.
Ireland Possible 11: Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling (C), Lorcan Tucker (WK), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Joshua Little, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young.
India
The visitors were pretty dominant in the second game with both bat and ball. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 58 off 43 at the top of the order while Sanju Samson smashed 40 in 26 deliveries. The pair added 71 runs for the third wicket before Rinku Singh provided a perfect finish with a 21-ball 38.
Indian bowlers were on the money yet again as they didn't let Ireland get any momentum. Prasidh Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi bagged two wickets each early while Jasprit Bumrah also picked two scalps at the back end.
Talking about the possible XI, there could be a couple of changes to the side now that they have won the series. Jitesh Sharma could get a game in place of Sanju Samson.
India Playing 11: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma (WK), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah (C), Prasidh Krishna
Pitch and expected weather conditions
The Village in Dublin generally produces good pitches for batting and short boundaries further assist the batters. But with the overcast weather, there has been some help for seamers as well. Batting second is a better option at the venue.
Looking at the weather forecast for Dublin, we could get enough overs for a match result. There's around an 80% chance of precipitation on Wednesday morning but things are expected to improve by the scheduled match time with only a 21% chance of precipitation in the evening.
IRE vs IND 3rd T20I Dream11 prediction
Our IRE vs IND Dream11 predictions for this match:
Given the form and quality of most of the Irish players, you can avoid picking too many of them. We have picked Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Curtis Campher and Barry McCarthy.
If Sanju Samson doesn't play, you can pick his replacement Jitesh Sharma, who is also likely to bat in the top four. Picking India's top three is a no-brainer while you should have at least three bowling options from the visiting side.
IRE vs IND match prediction: India to win
India's bowling attack has Jasprit Bumah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi. All of them have been excellent in the series. They have a young and inexperienced batting line-up but those players have already shown their caliber.
Add to the fact that India haven't lost a game against Ireland, you can back them to come out on top in this game as well.
