India vs. Ireland: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Cricket World Cup Preview
India and Ireland are two of the most in-form teams at the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and the pair will go head-to-head at Seddon Park in Hamilton looking to continue their march towards the quarter-finals of this engrossing competition.
Reigning champions India have been imperious in their displays at the tournament so far, winning all four of their matches in convincing fashion up to now. With South Africa toiling, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team will be desperate for a win here to cement their status as group winners and thus secure the easiest possible tie in the knockout stages.
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Ireland won’t make it easy for their more illustrious opponents, though. They’ve triumphed in three of their four matches and their nail-biting five-run victory over Zimbabwe should see them carry some major momentum into this clash.
Here’s a closer look at both of the sides involved in this one and all the information you need on where to catch the clash live.
Date: Tuesday, Mar. 10
Time: 1 a.m. (GMT), 9 p.m. (ET, Mar. 9), 2 p.m. (Local)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN Cricket 2015 (U.S.)
TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK)
India Looking to Preserve Perfect Form
While India weren’t too convincing in the build-up to this tournament, the temperament of these players always seems to galvanise them when the serious stuff starts. That’s something which has been on show in earnest during the opening weeks of this competition as they’ve won four games in pretty comfortable circumstances.
As noted by Cricket Record, the 2011 champions are currently on an excellent run of World Cup victories:
Indeed, in the opening weeks of this edition they’ve represented a very balanced outfit. Their batting is refined, their bowling is astute and their fielding has seen a major improvement too. In Pool B, no team has been able to get near this India side.
Another key facet of their success has been the support received at almost every venue. It’s something Freddie Wilde of ESPN Cricinfo noted during their previous win over the West Indies:
They have enough quality to win this one against Ireland, but they should underestimate the men in green at their peril. Ireland have showcased a little bit of everything at this tournament so far and know that they are on the brink of taking their place in the last-eight of the competition, a feat that would represent a remarkable achievement for this team.
Their batting has been very explosive, having notched totals in excess of 300 on two occasions in their four matches so far. At the death in games their bowling has been very clever too, something that allowed them to get over the line in that aforementioned thriller against Zimbabwe.
As noted by former England captain Michael Vaughan, Ireland’s displays against some of the test-playing nations have been very admirable indeed:
They certainly have the players to cause problems for their more illustrious opponents in this encounter. At the top of the order William Porterfield and Ed Joyce—who made an excellent century in the previous match against Zimbabwe—are very classy players, while Kevin O’Brien is capable of bludgeoning some quick runs down the order.
But as South Africa illustrated when they played Ireland, the men in green don’t quite have enough to match the very best sides on the planet and you can foresee them struggling against the acumen of the Indian seamers. As noted by Andy Zaltzman of ESPN Cricinfo, the Indian bowlers are very tough to get away:
For Ireland, you suspect all eyes will be on that upcoming clash with Pakistan. That is a game they’ll feel as though they have a decent chance of winning and subsequently booking their place in the last-eight of the competition, but India will be one step too far for them.
The reigning champions can book their spot at the top of the group with a win and that means they’ll be facing a much more favourable tie in the quarter-finals. This game won’t be an easy one for them, but expect this quality outfit to put in another confident display as they continue to defend their title with distinction.
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