Watch: Arshdeep Singh took little time to dent Ireland's top order, plucking out both openers in the same over of India's opening fixture of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Off the first ball of Ireland's third over, he forced Paul Stirling into a top edge, getting extra lift from the spongy New York drop-in pitch. The intended pull only ballooned in the air, and was safely pouched by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Five balls later, Andy Balbirnie couldn't do much about a length ball that kept a tad low and beat him through the angle. Balbirnie tried to guide it to third man, but was seemingly late on the ball.
The variable bounce at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium regularly bothered batters: Harry Tector was hit by another Arshdeep delivery that lifted sharply and hit him on the glove, leaving him in visible discomfort.
Sunil Gavaskar on commentary, noted: "You can see the bounce. The ball is climbing over the stumps. LBWs will be a little difficult."
Later, Tector was dismissed by a Jasprit Bumrah snorter, edging one onto his helmet on his way to the cover fielder.
In the only other T20I played on this venue, two days ago, Sri Lanka were shot out for 77 following Anrich Nortje's spell of 4-7.
Arshdeep is now joint-fifth among Indian quicks with the most T20 World Cup wickets.
At the time of writing, Ireland had lost eight wickets for 66 runs by the end of the 13th over.
Watch Arshdeep dismiss Stirling and Balbirnie in the same over:
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