Former cricketers break down India's stunning defeat to Ireland, point out key lapses: 'Middle-order completely faltered'

Team India had a wayward start to their new T20 cycle after suffering a stunning defeat in Belfast. On Friday, Ireland defeated the Men in Blue by 34 runs, securing their first-ever victory over the T20 world champions across formats and sealed a 1-0 lead in the series.

India, led by Shreyas Iyer, crumbled under pressure after a batting collapse, with Ireland’s bowlers tightening their grip to seal a historic triumph at Stormont, leading to intense criticism.

The team's performance was heavily critiqued, with former cricketers pinpointing India's lapses during the match.

Aakash Chopra questions Sundar's utilisation

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra questioned the way the management utilised Washington Sundar in the team. He pointed out that merely giving him a spot in the playing XI is not enough, and the players' roles need to be clear.

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"What are we doing with Washi? We are playing him, but are not playing him. Giving a chance doesn't mean just playing. Giving a chance means you are given proper overs, made to bat at a proper number, given a slightly bigger role, and the role should be clearly assigned. A player gets lost many times if the role is not clearly demarcated," Chopra said.

Sundar was given just one over in the game, conceding 19 runs and remained wicketless. He failed to make an impact with the bat after scoring just nine off 12 balls before being dismissed.

Karthik: Ireland out-batted, out-bowled, and out-fielded India

Former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik pointed out that India's middle-order was under heavy pressure, leading to a collapse. He added that the scoreboard strain prompted the batters to hit many aerial shots, which didn't connect well due to the unusual ground dimensions in Stormont, leading to the fall of wickets.

"Abhishek Sharma was the only one who got going. India's middle-order completely faltered and put a lot of pressure on those that batted after. Ireland didn't even have many of their core players, which adds more context to this historic win.

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"Despite Abhishek's brilliant start, because of the scoreboard pressure, there were lot of aerial shots through the middle. But none of them connected, and in a ground like Belfast, which is awkwardly shaped, it didn't help India. The cluster of wickets in the middle meant the pressure was always on India. Ireland out-batted, out-bowled, and definitely out-fielded India,” Karthik said to Cricbuzz.

Team India will aim for a turnaround on Sunday when they face Ireland for the series-decider T20 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.