In their historic 2-0 T20I series victory in Belfast on Sunday, Ireland’s flawless evaluation of the conditions and flawless execution of plans were praised by India captain Shreyas Iyer.
Within 48 hours of defeating India by 34 runs in the opening match, Ireland overcame the T20 world champions by only one run to secure an unforgettable series victory.
“Not a great series but kudos to them for the way they played. They had a tremendous idea how the wicket would play and the field work was phenomenal. The bowlers were phenomenal with their execution. They outplayed us in that department,” PTI quoted the newly-appointed skipper Iyer as saying at the post-series presentation ceremony.
Prince Yadav’s T20 debut was a plus, as the pacer returned with figures of 3/22. “He has got great experience in the IPL, he has his own set of ideas and plans when he comes on to bowl, Suryansh (Shedge) as well.”
Lorcan Tucker, the captain of Ireland, said it was an accomplishment that will only sink in with time. “I can’t quite believe it. I challenged the lads to show the world that was not a one off and yeah they responded. We came out with the same intent as the previous game. We showed that cricket can be simple and you don’t need to complicate it.”
Despite important players’ injuries prior to the series, Tucker was pleased with the team’s performance. “We have a lot of lads with very few caps but they showed great character. We are so lucky to have these games against India. It is a great time to be a professional cricketer in Ireland.”
The Ireland dressing room now feels like home to Moondra, who came to Dublin University to pursue his M.Tech. “Still sinking in,” the player of the match and series said. “It is an amazing feeling. Credit to the team management [for backing me]. Everyone have ups and downs, just got to hang in and keep going through. They’ve made me feel like I’m one of them. It is a great environment, good people. Still trying to process it.”
When asked what made him unique, Moondra insisted that it was important for him to stick to the fundamentals and follow the procedure.
