Ireland produced one of the greatest results in their cricket history by defeating India by one run in the second T20I to complete a historic 2-0 series whitewash.
The victory was Ireland’s first-ever bilateral T20I series triumph over India and made them the first team to whitewash the reigning T20 World Cup champions in a bilateral T20I series. The defeat also ended India’s run of 16 consecutive T20I series victories.
Ireland edge thrilling contest
Asked to bat first, Ireland posted a competitive 154/8 in 20 overs. Harry Tector top-scored with 53, while Ben Calitz chipped in with 37. Prince Yadav was India’s standout bowler with figures of 3/22, while Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube claimed two wickets each.
India’s chase never gained complete momentum despite Tilak Varma’s fighting 55 off 46 balls. Harshit Rana’s late 21 from just 10 deliveries brought the visitors within touching distance before Prince Yadav struck a six off the final ball, leaving India one run short at 153/9.
Irish bowlers hold their nerve
Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard starred with the ball, claiming three wickets apiece to derail India’s batting order.
Their disciplined spells through the middle overs proved decisive as Ireland withstood India’s late assault to seal a famous victory.
Another unwanted record for India
The defeat marked another disappointing milestone for India under captain Shreyas Iyer.
Along with suffering their first bilateral T20I series defeat to Ireland, India also became the first reigning T20 World Cup champions to be whitewashed in a bilateral T20I series.
The result extended a difficult run for Indian cricket, following previous series defeats against New Zealand in both Tests and ODIs, as Ireland celebrated the biggest series victory in their cricketing history.
Discussion about this post