The graft to Eoin Morgan's glory

For all his herculean physique and breathtaking sprinting prowess, Usain Bolt has always had a chink in his armour. Believe it or not, when the gun fires, the fastest man on earth doesn't hit the ground running. Because of his long strides and the trunk-like midriff, Bolt almost lumbers from the starting blocks while quicker legs scurry around him. Obviously, standing 6'5'' tall doesn't help.

But then, as the first ten meters come to an end, he taps some secret rocket-fuel supply and gathers phenomenal steam. As he reaches maximum velocity, those chiselled legs pound the turf hard, and the blemish of the early stutter fades into oblivion. Jaws drop as the untamed beast takes the flaw in his stride and cruises to bask in the finish-line glory.

England captain Eoin Morgan ploughs the same furrow. Let alone ooze confidence right from the outset; he only just manages to avoid looking a bundle of nerves out there in the middle.

Even if Eoin Morgan tries concealing his anxiety with few reassuring leaves, the booming drive or the trigger-happy shimmies down the track fail him big time. The miscued backfoot punches, toe-edged flicks, and wild slashes might not please the eye, but they're the stepping stones traversing through which Eoin Morgan later channelizes his instinctive belligerence.

England talisman Eoin Morgan soaks in the applause.

Eoin Morgan isn't the sort of batsman who'd crawl into his shell when trouble arises. He might be playing the sheet-anchor under adverse conditions but bowl a short one, and he'll pull you out of the park. The defensive mindset simply doesn't bode with his conscience. And the most glaring of harbingers came during the opening throes of his swashbuckling ton versus Ireland.

Notwithstanding England's mantra of batting with an aggressive intent, the scoreline beaming horror figures of 14/2 could persuade the most fearless of tacticians into reconsidering their approach.

Add to the fold his own struggles in discovering rhythm, and you could hedge your bets on Eoin Morgan treading water, albeit briefly. But the southpaw flashing his blade at Mark Adair's wide half-volley all but evinced that come what may, England will fight fire with stocks chock-full of gasoline.

Eoin Morgan led the counter-attack from the front. The ball seldom rang from the sweet spot of his bat during the initial phases, but that didn't prevent him from merrily rolling the dice. Mark Adair was scythed through backward point with such venom that the sound reverberated like thunder.

Morgan was particularly severe on Craig Young too, his overpitched loosener check pushed to beat mid-off, and an innocuous bouncer meted out the punishment it so badly deserved.

England skipper Eoin Morgan gradually found his bearings

The exquisite cover drive unfurled off Young not only proved a shot in the arm for an uncertain Eoin Morgan still grappling with timing but also marked an incredible shift in momentum for England. The way the left-hander switched gears post that morale-boosting boundary demonstrated his ability to put behind the jitters and turn the tide on a whim.

Ireland were just coming to terms with the leather hunt they were being subjected to before the initiative was snatched from their grasp and rolled comfortably into England's pocket.

However, as much as Eoin Morgan's pyrotechnics laid the foundation of England's rebuilding endeavour, his dismissal at a vital juncture - in the 27th over - offered Ireland a window of opportunity to claw their way back into the scheme of things.

The momentum England conceded once he failed to kick on after accomplishing his milestone turned out to be the deciding factor in the match's context. David Willey and Tom Curran did flex their muscles, but England rued the impact Eoin Morgan could have had with his undisputed six-hitting calibre.

Ireland finally tasted victory courtesy Paul Stirling's blitz.

Nonetheless, the England skipper was gracious in defeat and lavished praise on the man-of-the-match, Paul Stirling.

“I think Ireland outplayed us today, we had an average day. Being three down early, then rebuilding and the guys rescuing later. We have more than enough wicket takers in our group. Stirling had a good day, but we missed out on the opportunities.'', Morgan reflected during his post-match press conference.

“We don’t take winning series for granted. I think today was a kind reminder of how easily you can lose games when you have an average day or an off day. Today was also an insight on a better wicket what limited-over international cricket is like. It can be cruel.", he added.

Eoin Morgan certainly seems very committed to his happy-go-lucky demeanour, which is no doubt reaping huge dividends for him and England at the moment. Never mind the temporary glitches at the beginning, for Morgan's late flourish is good enough to set the hearts racing.