India, July 2 -- Former Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik believes the ghosts of the recent tour to Ireland heavily influenced India's surprising decision to bat first in the opening T20I against England.

Despite overcast conditions and the looming threat of rain at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, skipper Shreyas Iyer chose to set a target rather than chase. Teams often prefer to field first in T20 cricket when the weather threatens to bring the DLS method into play. However, coming off a shocking 0-2 whitewash at the hands of Ireland - where India faltered while chasing in both fixtures - Karthik noted that the team looked keen to avoid the pressure of another chase.

"India, choosing to bat, was a good decision, even though, obviousl...