'We Indians are everywhere. We rule the world': Hardik Pandya boasts about India's big fanbase

Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya recently shared his thoughts on the incredible crowd support the Indian team received in New York. Speaking about the passionate fans at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium during the India vs Ireland match, Pandya expressed his gratitude and excitement.

"It's always fantastic to see crowd supporting us. We Indians are everywhere, we rule the world. Good to have so much support, many thanks to them," Hardik Pandya stated. 

Hardik Pandya also discussed the playing conditions at the stadium, noting his adaptation to the surface. “I really liked the first wicket. Generally don't hit the stumps often, I have a tendency to bowl back of a length, but on this wicket I needed to be a lot fuller to be in the game. Yes, if you bowl short, the ball may fly.”

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IND vs IRE, T20 World Cup 2024

India's quartet of fast bowlers were simply menacing on a pitch offering variable bounce and seam movement dismantling Ireland for a lowly 96 in their opening T20 World Cup match here on Wednesday. Arshdeep Singh (2/35 in 4 overs), Mohammed Siraj (1/13 in 3 overs), Jasprit Bumrah (2/6 in 3 overs) and Hardik Pandya (3/27 in 4 overs) didn't give any breathing space to Irish batters who were made to look like novices in front of swing, seam and extra bounce that the four-pronged attack produced during the 14 out of 16 overs they bowled.

Such was their plight that none of the Irish batters save one --- Gareth Delany (26 n.o, 14 balls) could even cross 20-run mark individually. Delany's innings took them close to the 100-run mark.

Rohit Sharma was lucky with the coin and the overcast conditions was just the kind of help Arshdeep needed first up as he bowled an ideal Test match length with the white Kookaburra.

Most of his deliveries were pitched up and reared up from length making life miserable for the seasoned duo of Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie.

It only helped that Mohammed Siraj also kept up the relentless pressure from the other end as the two openers found it difficult to even put bat on balls that were jagging around allowing Rishabh Pant to dive full stretch on both sides of the track.

Stirling tried to pull one which climbed up on him from good length and Pant ran backwards to pouch the skier.

For Balbirnie, his 'one-leg' stance turned out to be a wrong strategy to counter Arshdeep as he bowled one that was pitched on middle and moved a shade towards off with the batter with no footwork unable to cover the line of the swing.

The Powerplay gone horribly wrong at 26 for 2 for Ireland, and there was no coming back for them.

Pandya as the second change pacer bowled a perfect nip-backer with a wobbly seam to breach through Lorcan Tucker's defence.

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Bumrah then scarred an already rattled Harry Tector with a nasty bouncer that took his gloves and almost blew away his head lobbing off the helmet.

At the halfway stage, Ireland, who recently beat Pakistan in a T20I at home, were 49 for 6 and the match had already becoming lopsided.

The biggest gain from the game was Pandya bowling his full quota of overs and the lengths that he hit during his spell which will give his skipper a chance to play an extra batter or bowler as per the demands of the conditions in coming games.

His three dismissals were different deliveries - first one was swing, the second seam and the third extra bounce. 

(With PTI inputs)