Ireland produced a memorable performance to defeat India by 34 runs in the first T20I at Stormont on Friday, registering their first-ever victory over India in international cricket. The win also gave Ireland a 1–0 lead in the two-match series.

Chasing 183, India collapsed to 148 all out despite a blazing start from Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a 20-ball fifty. The rest of the batting lineup failed to show resistance on a pitch that offered help to the pacers throughout the match.

Ireland’s bowling attack set the tone early. Debutant Jai Moondra made an instant impact, removing Sanju Samson when the batter edged onto his stumps. From there, Irish bowlers kept a tight line and regularly picked up wickets to keep India under pressure.

Ishan Kishan fell attempting an aggressive shot off Matthew Holland, who later played a key role with three wickets. Captain Shreyas Iyer had a disappointing outing on his full-time T20 captaincy debut, falling cheaply while trying to work a pace-off delivery into the leg side.

India were in trouble at 68 for 3 inside the powerplay, even though Abhishek’s attacking knock briefly kept them ahead in the chase. He reached his fifty in just 20 balls and played some stunning strokes, but lacked support from the other end.

After his dismissal, India’s middle order collapsed quickly. Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube failed to make an impact, while Ireland continued to apply pressure with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.

The final blow came when Arshdeep Singh was dismissed by Matthew Humphreys, sealing India’s fate and triggering celebrations in the Irish camp.

India's bowling

India’s bowlers had earlier restricted Ireland to 182/9, using short-pitched and hard-length bowling effectively on a lively surface. Harshit Rana led the attack with excellent figures, taking three wickets and breaking Ireland’s top order early.

Ireland were reduced to 30/3 in the powerplay, but skipper Lorcan Tucker anchored the innings with a fine half-century. He built a crucial 64-run partnership that helped Ireland recover after early setbacks.

Gareth Delany and George Dockrell later added quick runs in the middle overs, with Delany striking a 27-run over against Prasidh Krishna. However, India managed to keep taking wickets at regular intervals to prevent Ireland from posting an even bigger total.

Despite those efforts, Ireland’s disciplined bowling and India’s collapse ensured a famous win for the hosts.


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