Ireland defeated India for the first time in men’s international cricket with an unexpected 34-run victory over the World T20 champions at Stormont.
Ireland recovered from 51-4 to post 182-9, before an attack inspired by debutants Matt Hollard and Jai Moondra left India all out for 148 with seven balls remaining. This was the tourists’ first defeat since winning a second successive T20 World Cup in March.
India had left out 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose senior debut for India had been hugely anticipated since he tore apart some of the world’s best bowlers to top the Indian Premier League batting charts. Instead, India retained seven of the XI which won in March, only to be upstaged by the hosts.
The India-born left-arm quick Moondra bowled opener Sanju Samson with his first delivery and returned to catch Shivam Dube, India’s last recognised batter, off his own bowling Moondra took 2-25 and would have had a third wicket off his last delivery but Harshit Rana was dropped at long-on.
Debutant Hollard was named player of the match for his 3-28. He took the wickets of Ishan Kishan (one), skipper Shreyas Iyer (three) and all-rounder Washington Sundar (nine) in his four overs, but ended the match with his hand strapped after dropping a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Axar Patel.
Abhishek Sharma (50) had given India a tremendous start to their reply, smashing seven fours and two sixes in a 19-ball half-century, before being dismissed by Irish fast bowler Liam McCarthy in the eighth over.
The Ireland captain, Lorcan Tucker, also scored exactly 50 runs, while Gareth Delany contributed with a well-made 49 runs as they set up a steep total for India to chase.
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“I think we scraped through that game,” Tucker said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “We had some tough periods in it but we stayed in it. And we were diligent, and we worked hard. And we were lucky to get the reward in the end.”
