India skipper Shreyas Iyer said his bowlers had the Irish batters on tenterhooks early on but rued the lack of execution in the middle overs after the visitors suffered a shock 34-run defeat in the opening T20I in Belfast on Friday.
An injury-ridden Ireland stunned the world champions to register their maiden win over India in any format and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Opting to bowl, India had reduced the hosts to 30 for three inside the Powerplay before captain Lorcan Tucker struck a half-century and Gareth Delany smashed a 32-ball 49 to lift Ireland to 182/9.
“I think initially, the bowlers were bowling well. They got lateral movement, and they got a couple of wickets as well. So we got a tremendous start, but in between, we lost execution,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
Iyer felt the hosts were at least 10-15 runs above par after recovering from the early blows.
“We made them hit straight down the ground, where we know that the dimensions are pretty small. I thought 140 would have been an amazing score considering the start that we got to chase.
“But nonetheless, it’s a great experience over here. We got to play in these conditions, got a fair idea about the wicket, and yeah, great start as a captain,” said Iyer, who made his debut as full-time T20I captain.
Despite the setback, Iyer said the team would quickly move on from the defeat and focus on levelling the series.
“We’re going to forget what’s happened. Definitely a lot to learn from this game and see to it that we come out in the next game all guns blazing.”
The captain reserved special praise for pacer Harshit Rana (3/24) and all-rounder Shivam Dube (1/18 in 3 overs), both of whom exploited the helpful conditions effectively.
“They were getting help up front at the start, and Shivam, he has bowled crucial overs in the past. So I always back him, and I’ve played with him in the domestic circuit as well. I know his strengths and weaknesses.
“Harshit Rana bowled phenomenal. Coming out of an injury to perform at this level and showcase this sort of talent, it’s simply brilliant.”
Iyer also underlined the importance of staying switched on against every opposition.
“I think you can’t take anything for granted. You can’t just turn up and win matches. You have to work hard and see to it that you’re in that moment.
“Like I mentioned earlier, you’ve got to stay in the present and see to it that if you’ve got that opportunity to squeeze the opponent, we’ve got to do that. And yeah, never take any moment or situation lightly.”
