Image: Social media erupts as Ireland complete a historic series sweep over India / © Cricinfo
In the 2nd T20I at Belfast, Ireland defeated India by 1 run to complete a 2-0 series sweep. India elected to bowl first, and Ireland scored 154 for 8. Harry Tector played the key innings with 53 off 47 balls, while Ben Calitz made 37 off 23 and George Dockrell added 19. Debutant Prince Yadav was India’s best bowler with 3 wickets for 22 runs. Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube finished with 2 wickets each.
The chase began in the worst possible way for India. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were dismissed on the first 2 balls, and Shreyas Iyer also departed early. Tilak Varma rebuilt the innings with a fighting 55 off 46 balls, but he did not get enough support from the middle order. Shivam Dube contributed 20 before Harshit Rana changed the mood of the game with a rapid 21 from 10 deliveries. India still had a chance in the final over, but Ireland held their nerve.
Harshit fell on the fifth ball, leaving India needing 2 from the last delivery. Prince Yadav struck a boundary, but it was not enough as India finished on 153 for 9, just 1 run behind the target. Jai Moondra and Matt Hollard took 3 wickets each to set up the win. Moondra’s all-round impact earned him the Player of the Match award, and he was also named Player of the Series as Ireland celebrated a famous series victory.