Belfast, June 26 (IANS) Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker hailed his side’s resilience after they registered a historic 34-run victory over India in the opening T20I, describing the triumph over the reigning T20 World Cup winners as “pretty special” while praising his players for staying composed during difficult phases of the match.

Ireland recovered from 36/3 to post 182/9, thanks to Tucker’s 50 and Gareth Delany’s 49, before bowling India out for 148 in 18.5 overs. Matthew Hollard and Matthew Humphreys claimed three wickets each as Ireland secured their first-ever T20I victory over India and took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

“It was pretty special. But just credit to the lads. I think we scraped through that game. We had some tough periods in it, but we stayed in it. We were diligent, we worked hard, and we were lucky to get the reward in the end,” Tucker said after the match. “It’s great to beat the world champions at home in the first game of the season. But credit is due to the lads. We had two debutants there who put in absolutely outstanding performances,” he added.

The skipper also continued his impressive run with the bat, scoring his second successive half-century as captain. Asked about the achievement, Tucker responded with typical humility. “I have no idea why. I’m sure it will be broken the next day. But yeah, it’s started nicely for me,” he said.

Ireland were in early trouble after slipping to 36/3 inside the Power-play before Tucker and Delany rebuilt the innings with a crucial partnership. The captain admitted India’s disciplined bowling made life difficult in the opening overs.

“I think India bowled really well at the start. They bowled really good lengths and didn’t really waver from them. They stuck with them and made it challenging to hit good shots. It nearly felt like a Test match at one stage, but we tried to stay in the game, build a partnership, and then took our opportunities when they came a bit later,” he said.

He also acknowledged the role of Cricket Ireland’s support staff and the work done behind the scenes.

“I think all the work that goes on behind the scenes at Cricket Ireland, everyone is very dedicated. That’s why we like to bring these results and reward everyone’s efforts,” he added.

Tucker reserved special praise for debutants Matthew Hollard and Jai Moondra, who impressed with the ball after learning from India’s bowling display in the first innings.

“I think they were really dogged. We learned a lot from how India bowled in the first innings. They didn’t really stray from their lengths. We tried to tell the lads to do the same, and they showed their skill, accuracy, and ability to stay in those areas. Absolute credit to them. They worked so hard and executed the plans perfectly.”

With Ireland now leading the series 1-0, Tucker admitted the prospect of sealing a historic series victory over India was a major motivation.

“Absolutely. A series win at home against India would be pretty special. The lads are absolutely keen to get back here. The energy today was fabulous, the crowd were brilliant, so it was special,” he said.

–IANS

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