After England started their T20 World Cup campaign with victory over Afghanistan on Saturday, their thoughts were already turning towards their clash with defending champions Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

It is England’s chance to heap the pressure on the hosts after they lost their first game that same day against New Zealand, but first Jos Buttler’s side have the “inconvenience” of facing Ireland tomorrow (5am BST) in the world famous arena.

It is a game everyone will expect England to win but when these teams meet, Ireland’s famous Kevin O’Brien-inspired victory in Bangalore in 2011 and the first morning of the Lord’s Test in 2019 when England were bowled out for 85, are instantly recalled. Every dog has its day.

Ireland will be hoping that their superb nine wickets victory over West Indies in Hobart last week, which earned their place in this Super 12 stage, is not as good as it gets this time but captain Andrew Balbirnie knows they will have to play much better than they did against Sri Lanka on Sunday “if we are to get anywhere near” England tomorrow.

The Ireland squad flew to Melbourne yesterday and had a practice session on the ground this morning. Before it, Balbirnie gave his thoughts on what will be Ireland’s first T20 international against England for 12 years.

“I know the lads are determined to bounce back and are fully focused on the challenge ahead. We’ve played ODIs and a Test match against them but the last time we played them in a T20I was at the 2010 World Cup.

“I remember watching it in a walkabout on the Finchley Road (in London) when the rain came down and I couldn’t believe it. Paul Stirling and George Dockrell were playing – and I know the guys feel hard done by (when the game was abandoned with Ireland in a good position) but at the time that was a surreal thing to see Ireland on the telly in a World Cup.

“That was the generation which inspired a new generation and we’re very fortunate to play these high quality teams in such amazing venues. I’m chomping at the bit to get at them on Wednesday.”

Ireland got a taste of what it was like to play in the MCG in a warm-up game before the tournament but with a crowd present this time Balbirnie admits it’s going to be special.

“There’s a lot of Irish people in Melbourne and it’s always special when you get to play England. A few of us played county cricket so we got a taste of that and we know how strong a team they are, coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, and rightly so. So we are going to have to be a lot better than we were on Sunday to come anywhere near them.”

The Ireland batters are likely to come up against Mark Wood, the Durham pace man who consistently recorded deliveries in excess of 90mph in their opening match against Afghanistan. But that is another challenge which Balbirnie relishes.

“Yes, he is one of the quickest bowlers in the world but that sometimes brings out the best in our players.

However, he is just one of the threats England have – Sam Curran took five wickets against Afghanistan - they have threats all over the park and in every part of the game and we’re going to have to be on it to have any chance of an upset,” he added.

Ben Stokes, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid are just three of the other names Balbirnie could have mentioned as threats but already this week we have seen that some players are on a different planet to the rest.

With India needing 28 off eight balls to beat great rivals Pakistan on Sunday night, Virat Kholi hit the next two balls for sixes and then added another off a free hit in a dramatic last over as India won by the match with a single off the last ball. That is what Ireland are up against over the next 10 days, but there is nowhere else the players would rather be.

George Dockrell, meanwhile, tested positive for Covid in a PCR test yesterday but while he is still displaying no symptoms will be allowed to play in tomorrow’s game, as per local, national and ICC guidelines.