Ireland Stun World Champions India in First T20 International

First T20 international, Stormont

Ireland 182-9 (20 overs): Tucker 50 (36), Delany 49 (32); Rana 3-24

India: 148 all out (18.5 overs): Sharma 50 (20); Hollard 3-28, Humphreys 3-38

Ireland win by 34 runs

Scorecard

Ireland caused a massive shock as they claimed a first senior international win over world champions India in Friday's opening T20 international in Belfast.

With key bowlers missing through injury, debutants Jai Moondra and Matthew Hollard starred as the hosts claimed a 34-run victory to snap their winless streak against India in the shorter format at the ninth time of asking and 12th in all formats.

More than 4,000 spectators flocked to Stormont hoping to see India hand a record-breaking debut to batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

However, after India decided to hold the 15-year-old in reserve and opted to bowl first, new Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker led Ireland's batting charge, with his half-century helping the hosts post 182-9.

The tourists made a quick start in response as Abhishek Sharma hit 50 off 20 balls, but Ireland refused to panic with Hollard (3-28) and India-born Moondra (2-26) playing a key role in a historic win at sun-splashed Stormont as India were dismissed for 148 with seven balls left.

"I never expected this, to have a debut against India it's a dream come true and I couldn't ask for anything better," Hollard told TNT Sports.

"My family have come out from Johannesburg to support me.

"I've been wanting to come over to Ireland since 2019 but then Covid happened and there were a lot of setbacks. My brother came first and said I had to come so I did and Cricket Ireland have been unbelievable with me."

The sides face each other again at Stormont on Sunday (13:30 BST).

Having retained their T20 World Cup crown in spectacular fashion earlier this year, India were expected to prove too strong for an understrength Ireland team missing key operators such as Mark Adair, Curtis Campher and Josh Little.

But after being asked to bat first, the hosts recovered superbly to reach 182-9 thanks to Tucker's half-century.

In response to Ireland's commendable efforts with the bat, Indian openers Sanju Samson and Sharma hit 16 off the opening over before Moondra removed Samson with his first delivery in international cricket.

"He was outstanding," Ireland bowling coach Ryan Eagleson said of Moondra.

"He ran in, bowled quick. He's got that left-arm option, he has really good skills as well. He did it with a smile on his face.

"His smartness as well, he knew when to bowl a bouncer, his three-quarter seam, when to take pace off the ball. For somebody playing his first game I thought he was outstanding."

After Sharma was dismissed by Liam McCarthy, India's middle order toiled as Hollard took the wickets of Ishan Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar.

India had scraped their way to 147-9 with 11 balls left, but Ireland clinched a famous win when Tim Tector caught Arshdeep Singh's hit off a Matthew Humphreys delivery for the spinner's third wicket, sparking ecstasy among those in green.

On a day that had seemed destined for India's historic teenage debutant, Ireland's pair of new fast bowlers stole the show on their first appearances.

Balbriggan's Hollard was named player of the match with figures of 3-28, while Moondra of Leinster CC chipped in with two wickets against the country of his birth.

Ireland's debutants bowled astutely, asking India to target the larger square boundaries. Batter after batter faltered on a sticky surface, with the hosts holding most of their catches in the deep.

Above all, Ireland bowled with pace, a rare phenomenon for their bowlers. At one point, Moondra was clocked at 88mph while Hollard hovered around the 85mph mark.

It didn't take either man long to get into his work. Moondra castled Samson with his first ball in international cricket, while Hollard took two balls to induce Kishan into skying a chance.

Moondra turned the game a long way in Ireland's direction in the 16th over. Having beaten Axar Patel for pace with one delivery, a slower ball induced a return catch from the dangerous Shivam Dube, with Moondra diving forward to take it.

As India needed 49 from the final four overs, Ireland shut the door firmly as spinners Gareth Delany and Humphreys cleaned up the tail.

In a strange twist of fate, while India's 15-year-old batting phenomenon Sooryavanshi was forced to wait for his eagerly awaited debut, Hollard and Moondra may well not have featured had injuries not decimated Ireland's fast bowling stocks.