Ireland stun India to claim first win over T20 champions
Immaculate Ireland bowlers gnawed on Indian batters' impatience on a rather pacy pitch with exemplary lengths, etching a historic 34-run victory in the first T20I match on Friday.
It was Ireland's first-ever victory over reigning T20 world champions India in any format, and the hosts have now taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Chasing 183 on a pitch that had enough assistance for quick bowlers was not improbable, but it needed a different, pragmatic approach after the power play. But none of them had the patience, as India ended up at 148 all out, despite Abhishek Sharma making a 20-ball 50.
Debutant pacer Jai Moondra (2/26) inflicted the first blow on his country of origin, eliciting an inside on to the stumps from Sanju Samson. The Irish bowlers continued to pull the length back as Indians perished with alarming regularity. Ishan Kishan went for a trademark hack to leg-side off Matt Hollard (3/28), and Lorcan Tucker completed a simple catch inside the circle. In his first match as India's full-time T20 skipper, Shreyas Iyer attempted a flick off Hollard but could not impart force or distance to the pace-off delivery, getting caught in the deep by George Dockrell.
India scored 68 in the power play but lost three wickets.
However, Abhishek played a gem, a 20-ball fifty, as wickets tumbled around him, and punished pacer Liam McCarthy for four boundaries in the third over as India breezed ahead. But the left-hander found Ben Calitz with surgical precision through a pull off McCarthy, bringing a smile to the Ireland players' faces. Those smiles only widened once Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube went without making much of an impact. The final nail was thudded on India's coffin when Arshdeep Singh fell to Matthew Humphreys, leaving the Irish camp in a joyous huddle.
No debut for Sooryavanshi
Earlier, Indian pacers stuck to hard lengths and preyed on the aggressive tendencies of Ireland batters, limiting them to 182 for nine. The much-anticipated international debut for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not happen, but the full house at Stormont ground had enough to cheer for as India, led by Harshit Rana (3/24) dominated from ball one.
Ireland skipper Tucker made a half-century (50, 36 balls), but it was largely a lone hand.
The Indian quicks did not try to pitch the ball up and search for swing, as many would expect in these conditions. But they placed their belief in the back of the long deliveries and were rewarded handsomely.In the power play segment, the wickets of Tim Tector, Harry Tector and Ross Adair reduced the home side to 30 for three, and Ireland could only score 36 in the first six overs.
Tim and Adair went for pull shots and gave catches to Iyer and Samson, respectively. Both fell to Rana, and his intensity in the first match after recovering from a four-month injury lay-off might have pleased the team management. Harry went for a drive when Arshdeep (2/28) offered a rare fuller delivery, resulting in a simple catch to Samson.
Dube too reaped the benefits of shorter length, getting rid of Calitz, who had extracted two sixes off Prasidh Krishna.
