‘Still trying to process’: Rajasthan-born Jai Moondra leads Ireland’s emotional celebrations after historic series win over India | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Jai Moondra admitted he was still struggling to believe what had just happened after he inspired Ireland to one of the greatest moments in the country’s cricket history as emotional celebrations erupted after the hosts’ stunning 2-0 T20I series win over reigning world champions India.Rajasthan’s software engineer Tonk, who only made his international debut for Ireland in the series, was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series after once again dismantling India’s star-studded batting line-up. Moondra claimed 3 for 32, removing Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and the captain Shreyas Iyeras Ireland defended 154 to seal a dramatic one-run win at Stormont.Videos released after the match captured scenes of joy, with the Irish players celebrating a landmark triumph that secured their first series win over India in any format and ended the visitors’ 16-match winning streak in T20Is.
“Still trying to sink in the feeling”
Although he became the unlikely hero of the series, Moondra said the magnitude of the achievement had yet to fully register.“Always trying to sink into the feeling. I know it’s difficult to describe in a single word. It’s an amazing feeling playing against the best, proving yourself,” he said.The left-arm pacer revealed that his approach throughout the series was just to stick to the basics.“So just doing the basics for longer, that was the plan. Credit to the team members and the management. Keep it simple. There will be hard times, but keep calm and composed and do your thing,” he explained.Moondra also reflected on the setbacks he had overcome before reaching this stage in his career.“Everybody has ups and downs, so you just hang in there and keep going through it. Nothing more.”WATCH: Irish players celebrate historic win
“They made me feel like one of them”
The 29-year-old credited Ireland’s dressing room environment for helping him settle seamlessly into international cricket.“They made me feel like I was one of them, nothing different from that. It was amazing, good environment, good people. So I just do the duty they gave me,” he said.Asked about bowling to experienced opener Sanju Samson, Moondra said he never deviated from his plans despite the challenge.“Just keep it simple, do what you’ve been doing. It’s going to be tough, little margin for error. So just keep what you’ve been doing and stick to the plan,” he added.His disciplined execution paid rich dividends as he dismissed Samson and Abhishek Sharma for first-ball ducks before dismissing Iyer to leave India at 35 for 4.Even after receiving the Player of the Series award after just two international appearances, Moondra admitted that the fairytale was difficult to understand.“Oh, I’m still trying to process it,” Moondra said.For Ireland, the celebrations reflected much more than a bilateral series win. After backing up their opening win with another inspired performance, Lorcan Tucker’s side proved their breakthrough success was no fluke, producing arguably the biggest T20I success in the nation’s history against the best team in the world.
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