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Ireland have locked horns with India in three ODIs and seven T20Is in a span of over 16 years. The last six of those meetings have been at The Village in Malahide, Dublin.
Unfortunately, though, not once have Ireland been able to end up on the winning side, showcasing the clear gulf in quality between the two teams. The narrowest margin of defeat was in the first T20I, when the visitors finished two runs ahead of the DLS par score after rain intervened.
The previous encounter, on the other hand, was rather one-sided, with India coming out on top by 33 runs. Jasprit Bumrah led another impressive bowling performance, while Rinku Singh put in a Player of the Match display after getting his first outing in the middle.
Vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will be at the helm in the side's next T20I assignment, the Asian Games, chipped in with a calm half-century.
The final game of the series will give both teams the chance to ring in a few changes and test out some combinations. The Men in Blue won't really be concerned about the Asia Cup, with most of their players not in the mix for that tournament. However, they will still want to head into the event on a high.
Can India extend their perfect record against Ireland? Or will Paul Stirling and Co. end on a high and do something no other Irish side has been able to do before?
India vs Ireland Match Prediction: Men in Blue look to head into Asia Cup on a high
Ireland's batting lineup has come undone two games in a row. Barry McCarthy and Curtis Campher were the only two batters to make meaningful contributions in the series opener, while Andy Balbirnie waged a lone battle in the second T20I.
Much of that has been done to the way India's premier bowlers have operated. The trio of Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi have scalped four wickets apiece and have been threatening throughout the innings. They've received some support from Arshdeep Singh as well.
That pattern is unlikely to change in the final T20I, with Ireland's batters finding it difficult to adjust to their own home conditions. There's been ample bounce on offer in Dublin, and the odd ball has nipped around in the powerplay.
Bishnoi's googly, meanwhile, has been as unreadable as ever to ensure that India have a vice-like grip over the middle overs.
Moreover, key Indian batters are due telling displays. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma haven't been able to cash in and make it big in the series so far and will no doubt have an eye on finishing off on a high.
The likes of Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Rinku struck a few big blows in the last game but haven't had as much time in the middle as they'd have liked.
Overall, India are clearly the better team on paper. Unless they go overboard with experimentation, they should be able to seal the final contest.
Prediction: India to win the third T20I vs Ireland.
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