Daijiworld Media Network - Dublin
Dublin, Jun 29: India captain Shreyas Iyer praised Ireland for their excellent reading of conditions and flawless execution of plans after the hosts scripted a historic 2-0 T20I series victory over the T20 world champions on Sunday.
After defeating India by 34 runs in the opening match, Ireland produced another thrilling performance within 48 hours, edging India by just one run in the second game to complete one of the biggest achievements in their T20 cricket history.
"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," Iyer said during the post-series presentation ceremony.
India found a bright spot in pacer Prince Yadav's T20I debut, as he impressed with figures of 3 for 22. Iyer praised the young bowler and also mentioned Suryansh Shedge for bringing fresh ideas to the team.
"He has got great experience in the IPL, he has his own set of ideas and plans when he comes on to bowl, Suryansh as well," Iyer said.
For Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker, the historic series win was an achievement that would take time to fully sink in.
"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," Tucker said.
Tucker also highlighted the team's resilience despite injuries to key players ahead of the series, saying several inexperienced players stepped up with confidence and character.
"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," he added.
Player of the match and series Moondra said the achievement was still sinking in and credited the team management for their support.
"It is an amazing feeling. Credit to the team management for backing me. Everyone has 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," Moondra said.
Speaking about his success, Moondra said following the basics and trusting the process helped him deliver in the series.