BELFAST, July 4 -- Harry Tector walked to the bowling crease at Stormont on the 20th over of India's chase needing to defend nine runs against a team that had arrived as heavy favourites and departed humbled. He was playing his 100th T20I. India needed two off the last ball. He gave them one.

Ireland won by one run.

The margin was narrow enough to feel cruel, and India's dressing room in Belfast had plenty to feel cruel about. A team that had not lost a T20I series in 33 months, one that had won two ICC World Cups in that stretch, walked off the Civil Service Cricket Club ground having been swept 2-0 by a side ranked well below them, having scored 153 from 20 overs when 154 was what they needed.

This was not accidental. Ireland's bowli...