Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker celebrates the historic win with his teammates. (Image credit: Cricket Ireland)
New Delhi: Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker has set his sights on an even bigger prize after leading his side to a historic first-ever win over India in men’s international cricket, declaring that a series win over the world T20 champions would be “very special”.
“After Ireland’s stunning 34-run win in the T20I opener in Belfast on Friday, Tucker was keen not to get carried away but admitted the chance to cap off a famous series triumph at home had already lit up the dressing room.“Absolutely, yes. A home win against India would be very special,” Tucker said after the match. “I think the players are absolutely keen to get back here. The energy today was great, the crowd was great and very special.”
“We qualified and stayed in the game.”
Tucker described the win as one of the best moments in Irish cricket, especially considering it came against the two-time reigning T20 World Cup champions.“It was very special. Credit to the players,” he said. “We got through that game. We went through some tough periods, but we stuck with it. We were diligent, we worked hard, and we were lucky to get the reward in the end.”Read also: The curse of world champions strikes again as India suffers Ireland’s historic shockIreland looked in trouble at 36 for 3 after the Indian seamers took full advantage of the conditions, before Tucker stabilized the innings with 50 off 36 deliveries.
Reflecting on his crucial partnership with Gareth Delaney, who scored 49 runs, Tucker praised India’s disciplined bowling before explaining how Ireland had patiently rebuilt.“India played really well in the beginning. They stuck to their ability and didn’t really let up. It looked like a Test match at one stage. But we tried to stay in the game, build a partnership, and then take our opportunities as they came.”
Beginners get the captain’s praise
Tucker also reserved special praise for debutants Jay Mundra and Matt Hollard, whose five-wicket haul dismantled India’s batting line-up.“I think we learned a lot from Indian bowling. We asked the players to commit to those lengths as well, and they showed their skill, accuracy and ability to execute plans. Absolute credit to them.”He added that the result reflects years of hard work behind the scenes.“To beat the world champions on home soil is very special. The two players on their debut were fantastic, but it’s also a credit to everyone behind the scenes in Irish cricket. Everyone works hard, and results like this are why we do it.”India, led by new skipper Shreyas Iyer, were bowled out for 148 after Ireland posted 182 for 9, leaving Tucker and his team just one win away from a historic series victory over one of the biggest powers in world cricket.
