Ireland pulled off a stunning one-run victory over reigning T20 World Champions India on Sunday to secure a historic 2-0 series sweep. The hero of the day was Rajasthan-born pace bowler Jai Moondra, who destroyed India’s star-studded top order in a sensational opening spell, ending India’s 16-series unbeaten streak.
Choosing to field first in nippy, windy conditions, India started strongly. Debutant Prince Yadav bowled beautifully to take three for 22, hitting hard lengths and utilizing short balls effectively. Early wickets from Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh left Ireland struggling at 48 for three.
Also Read: Who is Jai Moondra? Rajasthan-born Ireland pacer who took the wicket of Sanju Samson on his debut
Harry Tector anchored the host team with a steady 53 in his 100th T20I, while Ben Calitz provided the aggression with a quick 37, including smashing 22 runs in one over off debutant Suryansh Shedge. Shivam Dube broke their 65-run partnership by taking two wickets in consecutive balls, and Arshdeep added two late wickets to restrict Ireland to 154 for eight.
India’s chase of 155 collapsed immediately against Moondra, who finished with superb figures of three for 32. Sanju Samson fell for a second consecutive first-ball duck to a sharp inswinger, and Abhishek Sharma followed three balls later for another golden duck after a wild swing. When skipper Shreyas Iyer dragged an angled delivery onto his own stumps, India were reeling at 19 for three.
A direct hit from Ross Adair ran out Ishan Kishan to leave India at 35 for four. Vice-captain Tilak Varma played a lone, disciplined hand, scoring 55 off 46 balls to keep India in the game despite a pitch offering tricky, spongy bounce.
In the final over, Harshit Rana smashed a rapid 21 off 10 balls to bring India to the brink of victory. However, Rana was caught on the penultimate delivery of the match, leaving India stranded at 153 for nine and handing Ireland a historic win.
A notable performer in the series was Rajasthan-born Ireland pacer Jai Moondra who registered a total of 5 wickets on his debut T20I series against the team he once dreamed of representing. Moondra, who once thought his cricket career was over when he took up a full-time corporate job, returned with figures of 3/32 in the 2nd T20I and was also adjudged as player of the match for his sensational bowling.
It was a disappointing outing for the Indians but the Irishmen will always remember this as one of the greatest moments in their cricketing history. For India, the 2-1 result doesn’t seem ideal as they will lock horns with England in a 5-match T20I series followed by a 3-match ODI series.
