Pakistan & Bangladesh were knocked out of the 50-over World Cup by Ireland two years ago. Will Dhoni's T20 champions suffer a similar fate tomorrow?
Pakistan & Bangladesh were knocked out of the 50-over World Cup by Ireland two years ago. Will Dhoni's T20 champions suffer a similar fate tomorrow?
India play Ireland tomorrow at Trent Bridge knowing that a supposed cakewalk could easily turn into a banana skin. The World Twenty20's big guns have been on high alert ever since England were clogged by the Dutch on the tournament's opening night at Lord's, and yesterday's emphatic six-wicket win for the Irish against Bangladesh has turned tomorrow's match into a quest for Group A bragging rights.
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Ireland's Kyle McCallan (centre) celebrates the wicket of Bangladesh's Roqibul Hasan during their World Twenty20 match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham yesterday. |
India, still smarting over allegations of a rift between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, are already through to the Super Eights, but they will still have to make sure they are properly focussed against a side growing used to collecting scalps.
Ireland's victory over the Bangladeshis, who have been dumped out of the competition at the earliest available opportunity, was based on the perky batting of the O'Brien brothers, Niall and Kevin, who combined to hit 79 runs off 42 balls with five sixes, plus the seam bowling of Trent Johnston and off-spinner Kyle McCallan, who between them returned figures of 8-0-37-4.
"We said at the last World Cup that we're not just here to make up the numbers," said Niall O'Brien, who set Ireland on their way with three sixes in an over off Mashrafe Mortaza.
"We've already seen an upset at Lord's against England and we want to win as many games as we can. We've got real belief among the squad and we've got a very talented bunch of players."
ComplacencyAsian teams have good reason to fear the pluck of the Irish. Pakistan were famously knocked out of the 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean two years ago, a tournament in which Ireland also defeated Bangladesh. And well though Ireland played in Nottingham yesterday, it could be that India's biggest problem will be the threat of complacency against a side containing only five players with experience of English county cricket.
Niall O'Brien, who keeps wicket for Northamptonshire when he's not representing his country, is expecting to recover from a knee injury picked up when he slipped in the field yesterday, and was talking a good game in advance of the Indian showdown.
"My brother Kevin is as big a hitter as anyone in the tournament. You look at Yuvraj and he hits it as far as him. It's obviously going to be a very difficult game against the world champions," he said. "But if you can't get up against them, who can you get up for?"
On paper, India should collect another win as they seek to defend the trophy they won in Johannesburg two years ago. But so far the form guide for the World Twenty20 has barely been worth the paper it's been written on. India beware of the Irish eyes that were yesterday smiling.
