Jasprit Bumrah led the way once again as India secured victory in the second T20 against Ireland in Malahide to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series.
Bumrah, returning after almost a year out of the team due to back injury, picked up two wickets in another miserly T20 spell to help seal a 33-run win.
Fellow fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, also returning from a serious back injury, was equally impressive as he generated good pace and bounce. Bumrah finished with 2-15 while Krishna took 2-29 as India restricted the hosts to 152-8 after posting 185-5.
The match was perfectly set up for the visitors by their batsmen, with newcomer Ruturaj Gaikwad (58 off 43) and experienced Sanju Samson (40 off 26) laying a strong foundation. Then, debutant Rinku Singh smashed 38 from 21 balls while all-rounder Shivam Dube hit 22 from16 to propel the innings in the death overs.
Bumrah, who is also the captain of the side and did not concede a single boundary on Sunday, was ecstatic after the win. He finished the match with a wicket-maiden.
"Feeling good, today I could run in and bowl a little faster," Bumrah said.
"If you play with the baggage of expectation, you are going to be under pressure. You have to keep those expectations aside. Happy to be back and couldn't have asked for anything more."
Bumrah's performance as captain has received positive reviews, which is in stark contrast to that of Hardik Pandya who captained the team during the recent five-match T20 series defeat in the West Indies.
The fast bowler is now being seen as a potential vice-captain in white-ball cricket, with Pandya's tactics and selection policies failing to meet the mark.
However, whether Bumrah can sustain his bowling in ODI cricket will be known when he is put to the test during the upcoming Asia Cup tournament.
