'Great return for the GOAT' - Fans react as India win rain-interrupted first T20I against Ireland under Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy

Inia and Ireland locked horns in the rain-affected first T20I of the three-match series at the Malahide Cricket Stadium in Dublin. The visiting skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the flip of the coin in his first T20I match as captain for India and asked the Irish team to bat first at the seam-friendly track of Malahide.

Batting first, Ireland scored 139 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. They survived after some early blows as they had lost 6 wickets only on the score of 59 runs in 10.3 overs. It was the time when Curtis Campher and lower-order batter Barry McCarthy took charge of the hosts.

India won by a close margin of 2 runs in the DL/S method

The duo stitched a crucial partnership of 57 runs for the seventh wicket before Campher fell prey to Arshdeep Singh in the 18^th over of the first innings on an individual score of 39 runs (3 fours and a six). Furthermore, McCarthy kept hitting some brilliant shots for his side and completed his T20I career’s maiden half-century; he smashed 51 runs off just 33 balls with 4 boundaries and four sixes.

Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, debutant pacer Prasidh Krishna and star spinner Ravi Bishnoi scalped 2 wickets each for India, alongside a wicket claimed by Arshdeep Singh.

While chasing the target, India got a good start from the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo stitched a partnership of 46 runs for the first wicket in 6.2 overs. Jaiswal scored 24 runs, alongside 19 runs scored by Ruturaj Gaikwad. At the time of the rain interruption in the match, India had lost two wickets in quick succession in the 7^th over, bowled by Craig Young. The match couldn't continue after the rain interruption and India won the match by 2 runs in the DL/S method.

The fans were also elated following Team India’s win in the T20I series opener against the hosts; they showered praise and lauded skipper Jasprit Bumrah and the team’s performance.

Here’s how fans reacted:

It would have been interesting match, if only rain had not ruined the play.#INDvsIRE

— Alt-Kirket (@_Kirket_) August 18, 2023

Bumrah Won the Player Of The Match award on captaincy debut.

A great return for the GOAT...!!#INDvsIRE pic.twitter.com/FLMN2B3Xva

— Naren (@im_naren5) August 18, 2023

India won under Bumrah
MI BLOOD asusual

— Being medico 🩺💊 (@being_medico___) August 18, 2023

Out of box
Lets remove Pandya from captaincy scheme and place Bumrah in that
- Both are of same age
- Bumrah is not a chapri
- Bumrah ll treat all palyers with respect irrespective which IPL team they belongs
- Bumrah is not a in secure person
- Bumrah ll take decision as…

— Abhishek Pandey 🇮🇳#RB (@AbhishekPandeyK) August 18, 2023

Seriously though they should look at weather updates before organising games

— Mayank Goel (@indiangalactico) August 18, 2023

Bumrah should be a permanent captain in T20I

— Ishu (@PocketDynamoo) August 18, 2023

Great start by bumrah as captain

— Er.Atul Vaidya🇮🇳🚩 (@atulvai04795672) August 18, 2023

Thanks to rain.. Otherwise 🇮🇳 would have failed to achieve the target 🤣

— Chaudhary ذیشان Waryah (@shaaniwaryah) August 18, 2023

Yeh better captain than hardik vale, opposition ko bhul hi jaate hain kya 🤣

— LORD 🌟 (@normal_saline_) August 18, 2023