A master-class knock by Deepak Hooda propelled India to a narrow escape victory in the second T20I against Ireland on Tuesday (June 28). India won the match by four runs in a nail-biting high-scoring contest to sweep the two-match series at The Village in Dublin.
Hooda scored 104 off 57 balls to become only the fourth Indian to hit a T20 International ton, while Sanju Samson contributed 77 off 42 balls to power India to a mammoth 225 for seven after opting to bat.
Ireland took the chase to the last over with skipper Andy Balbirnie (60 off 37), Paul Stirling (40 off 18), Harry Tector (39 off 28) and George Dockrell (34 not out off 16) shinning bright but they eventually fell short as rookie India pacer Umran Malik defended 17 runs in the final over.
Meanwhile, Player of the Match and the Player of the Series, Hooda credited Indian Premier League for his sensational form with the bat which he translated through the Ireland T20I series.
"I am coming from a good IPL, I was trying to follow up the same performance here as well. I like playing aggressively. Batting up the order, I have the time, I try to play according to the situation. Sanju is a childhood friend, we played U-19 together, I am happy for him as well. Ireland is very good, I enjoyed it a lot. Fans are superb here, I never feel like playing outside India. Yeah, the wicket is different, thanks to all the fans for the support,"
Deepak Hooda, who became only the fourth male Indian player to score an international T20 hundred, revealed that a mindset change recently has helped him perform better.
"Being a cricketer, what I've learnt lately is that you should not think too far ahead. How many ever series, look at it one game at a time. If my work ethic is good, I'm going to be in a good space of mind and I'm going to score, that's my thinking. Try to keep it simple, live in the present, play the situation well, and then automatically the outcome will come. Now or later, it will come," quipped Hooda after the second T20I against Ireland.
The high-scoring game saw Ireland fall just four short of India's 225, and lose the series 0-2, but they ended up earning compliments from the opposition as well.
"To be honest, the Irish team played really well against us and we enjoyed playing against them," said Hooda and added, "Between the first and second game, I think there was a difference in the pitch. In the first game, the conditions were overcast and the wicket was damp. But today the wicket was very good for batting, as is clear by the way both teams batted. So I felt the wicket was a big factor."
Hooda also retained a pragmatic approach when asked about the competition for spots in the Indian national team.
"To be honest, yes it is difficult to find a spot in the Indian team and then staying there. But at the same time when you're playing in India colors, that time you never think about yourself, you think about the team. That's what I think about on the ground 'How can I contribute to the team in that situation'. I don't think more than that, try to keep things simple. Yes, it's a matter of pride for me that I'm playing for India, no matter if I'm scoring or not," said Hooda.
