Ireland stun world champions India for historic T20 win

Ireland caused a massive shock by claiming their first senior international victory over world champions India in Friday’s opening T20 international in Belfast.

With key bowlers missing through injury, debutants Jai Moondra and Matthew Hollard starred as the hosts secured a 34-run victory to end their winless streak against India in the shortest format at the ninth attempt, and the 12th across all formats.

More than 4,000 spectators flocked to Stormont hoping to see India hand a record-breaking debut to batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

However, after India decided to keep the 15-year-old in reserve and opted to bowl first, new Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker led the hosts’ batting charge. His half-century helped Ireland post 182-9.

The tourists made a rapid start in reply as Abhishek Sharma blasted 50 from just 20 balls, but Ireland refused to panic. Hollard (3-28) and India-born Moondra (2-26) played key roles in a historic victory as India were dismissed for 148 with seven balls remaining.

“I never expected this. To make my debut against India is a dream come true and I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Hollard told TNT Sports.

“My family have come out from Johannesburg to support me.

“I’ve been wanting to come over to Ireland since 2019, but then Covid happened and there were a lot of setbacks. My brother came first and said I had to come, so I did, and Cricket Ireland have been unbelievable with me.”

The sides meet again at Stormont on Sunday (13:30 BST).
Having retained their T20 World Cup crown in spectacular fashion earlier this year, India were expected to prove too strong for an understrength Ireland side missing key players such as Mark Adair, Curtis Campher and Josh Little.

However, after being asked to bat first, the hosts recovered superbly to reach 182-9 thanks to Tucker’s half-century.
In response to Ireland’s commendable total, Indian openers Sanju Samson and Sharma plundered 16 runs from the opening over before Moondra dismissed Samson with his first delivery in international cricket.

“He was outstanding,” Ireland bowling coach Ryan Eagleson said of Moondra.

“He ran in and bowled quickly. He’s got that left-arm option and has really good skills as well. He did it all with a smile on his face.

“His game awareness was outstanding too. He knew when to bowl a bouncer, when to hit the three-quarter seam, and when to take pace off the ball. For somebody playing his first game, I thought he was exceptional.”

After Sharma was dismissed by Liam McCarthy, India’s middle order struggled as Hollard claimed the wickets of Ishan Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar.

India had battled to 147-9 with 11 balls remaining, but Ireland sealed a famous victory when Tim Tector caught Arshdeep Singh off Matthew Humphreys to give the spinner his third wicket, sparking scenes of jubilation among the home supporters.

On a day that had seemed destined for India’s teenage sensation Sooryavanshi to make his historic debut, Ireland’s pair of new fast bowlers stole the spotlight on their first international appearances.

Balbriggan’s Hollard was named player of the match after returning figures of 3-28, while Leinster CC’s Moondra chipped in with two wickets against the country of his birth.

Ireland’s debutants bowled intelligently, forcing India to target the larger square boundaries. Batter after batter perished on a sticky surface, while the hosts held on to most of their chances in the deep.

Above all, Ireland bowled with genuine pace, something rarely associated with their attack. At one stage, Moondra was clocked at 88mph, while Hollard consistently operated around the 85mph mark.

Neither man took long to make an impact. Moondra bowled Samson with his first ball in international cricket, while Hollard needed just two deliveries to induce Kishan into skying a catch.

Moondra swung the match firmly in Ireland’s favour in the 16th over. Having beaten Axar Patel for pace with one delivery, he followed up with a slower ball that tempted the dangerous Shivam Dube into a return catch, with Moondra diving forward to complete the dismissal.

With India requiring 49 runs from the final four overs, Ireland shut the door emphatically as spinners Gareth Delany and Humphreys cleaned up the tail.

In a remarkable twist of fate, while India’s 15-year-old batting prodigy Sooryavanshi was forced to wait for his eagerly anticipated debut, Hollard and Moondra may never have featured had injuries not decimated Ireland’s fast-bowling resources. (BBC Sport)