‘Still trying to process it’. Jai Moondra, born in Rajasthan, led the emotional celebrations in Ireland after the historic series win over India Cricket News:
NEW DELHI: Jai Moondra admitted he was still struggling to believe what had just happened after inspiring Ireland to one of the greatest moments in the country’s cricket history, as emotional celebrations erupted after a stunning 2-0 T20I series win by reigning world champions India.The software engineer from Rajasthan’s Tonk, who was only making his international debut for Ireland in the series, was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series after dismantling India’s star-studded batting line-up once again. Moondra claimed 3 for 32, dismissing Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyeras Ireland defended 154 to seal a remarkable victory at Stormont.Videos released after the match captured jubilant scenes, with Ireland’s players celebrating a crucial win that secured their first ever series win over India in any format and ended the visitors’ 16-match winning streak in T20Is.
‘Still trying to sink in’
Despite being the unlikely hero of the series, Moondra said the magnitude of the success has yet to register fully.“Still trying to sink in the feeling. I know it’s hard to describe in one word. It’s an amazing feeling playing against the best, testing yourself,” he said.The left-arm pacer revealed that his approach throughout the series was to stick to the basics.“So doing the basics longer, that’s the plan. Credit to the team members and management. Keep it simple. There will be difficult times, but stay calm and calm and do your thing,” he explained.Moondra also reflects on the setbacks he overcame before reaching this stage in his career.“Everybody has ups and downs, so you just have to hang in there and keep going through that. Nothing more.”WATCH: Irish players celebrate historic win
“They make me feel like one of them”
The 29-year-old credited Ireland’s dressing-room environment for helping him transition seamlessly into international cricket.“They made me feel like I was one of them, no different than that. It was amazing, good environment, good people. So I just did 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.“It’s simple, do what you’re doing. It’s gonna 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 huge dividends as he dismissed Samson and Abhishek Sharma for first-ball ducks before sending Iyer back to leave India reeling at 35 for 4.Even after collecting the Player of the Series award after only two international appearances, Moondra admitted that the fairytale was difficult to understand.“Well, I’m still trying to process it,” Moondra said.For Ireland, the celebrations showed more than just another win in the bilateral series. After backing up their opening win with another inspired performance, Lorcan Tucker’s side showed that their success was no fluke, producing the biggest T20I success in the country’s history against the best team in the world.
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