NEW DELHI: The 22-year-old Irish batsman Harry Tector made all the right moves during the rain-hit first T20I against India, earning a name for himself with a blistering 64 not out. While it proved to be an effort that went in vain, as Ireland went on to lose the game, Tector did earn a lot of praise for his heroics with the bat.
This, of course, comes at a time when the Irish captain Andrew Balbirnie, in an interview to the Times of India, made it clear that playing in the IPL is a huge ambition for all Irish cricketers playing T20 cricket. And it's another reminder, of course, of the T20 hitting capabilities that exist in the ranks of the emerging cricket nations.
On Sunday, in a game that was shortened to a 12-overs-a-side affair after frustrating spells of rain, Ireland banked on Tector's batting prowess after being sent in to bat and were reduced to 22 for 3.
(Photo: @cricketireland Twitter)
He hit 6 fours and 3 sixes during his 33-ball stay at a strike rate of 193.94. That took Ireland to a respectable 108/4, but India overhauled the target in less than 10 overs for a seven-wicket win, thanks largely to knocks by opener Deepak Hooda (47 not out off 29 balls) and skipper for the two-match series, Hardik Pandya (24 off 12). Yuzvendra Chahal was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his extremely economical figures of 1-11 in 3 overs.
An India win was no surprise, but Tector, of course, was the toast of the Irish dressing room.
"Tector batted outstandingly well to get up to the total," said Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie.
India skipper Hardik too was all praise for the 22-year-old Irish batsman.
"We had to go back to our main bowlers," said Hardik, talking about Tector during the post-match presentation ceremony. "Maybe in the next game he will have a full chance. Some of the shots he played were mind-blowing."
Here's a brief profile of Harry Tector:
Age: 22
Born in: Dublin
Right-handed batsman
Right-arm part-time off-spinner
First-Class debut: May 2018, for the Northern Knights
Career highlights: (1) Took eight wickets during the 2018 Under-19 World Cup (2) Scored a century, 103, against Sri Lanka A recently
ODIs - Matches: 20; Runs: 670; Average: 41.88; Fifties: 7; HS: 79
T20Is - Matches: 33; Runs: 604; Average: 26.26; Fifties: 3 ; SR: 132.74; HS: 64*
