Ireland provided further evidence that they are the most improved of the Associate nations after stretching India during their match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. They had astonished the world with their scarcely believable defeat of England at the same ground four days earlier, but yesterday India’s batting proved to be too strong for them.
Chasing a modest 207 to win, India lost explosive opener Virender Sehwag (5) in the second over, with Trent Johnston (2-16) pouching a simple return catch. Gautam Gambhir (10) followed suit with the score on 24 before Virat Kohli (34) and opener Sachin Tendulkar (38) steadied the ship somewhat with a 63-run partnership.
Tendulkar was then trapped in front by young left-arm spinner George Dockrell (2-49), and the run-out of Kohli caused a flutter with India on unsure footing at 100 for 4. Yuvraj Singh (50 not out), India’s hero with the ball, combined with skipper MS Dhoni (34) to take the team close to their target with a 67-run partnership. Dhoni’s fall at 167 brought big-hitting Yusuf Pathan (34 not out), returning after missing two games due to injury, to the crease. The gap did not have any effect on his batting though, as he and Yuvraj completed the chase in a flurry of fours and sixes.
Earlier, part-time spinner Yuvraj bagged a maiden five-wicket haul as India dismissed Ireland for 207 despite skipper William Porterfield’s half-century.
The left-arm spinner’s victims included Kevin O’Brien (9), who hammered the fastest century in World Cup history in his team’s upset victory over England, as Ireland lost their last eight wickets for 85 runs.
Yuvraj (5-31) gave the capacity crowd plenty to cheer about after left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan had rocked Ireland with two early wickets in the day-night match in Bangalore. Zaheer finished with 3-30.
Porterfield (75), dropped on nought by Pathan in the slips off Zaheer, went on to complete an impressive half-century, his fifth in one-dayers, before being caught in the covers off Yuvraj. He hit one six and six fours.
Ireland were on course to post a challenging total following a 113-run stand for the third wicket between Porterfield and Niall O’Brien (46) before they slipped from a healthy 122-2.
They suffered a crucial blow when well-set Niall was run out after completing 1,000 runs in one-day internationals. His brother, Kevin, failed to repeat his heroics from the last match as he offered a return catch to Yuvraj.
There was no hint of the slide when Porterfield and Niall were steadying the innings after Zaheer’s double strike.
The Irish pair never looked in trouble, comfortably gathering runs against both pace and spin. They initially relied on singles and twos before Porterfield swung leg-spinner Piyush Chawla over square-leg for a six.
Zaheer earlier struck with the fourth delivery of the match when he bowled Paul Stirling for a duck before having Ed Joyce caught behind for four.
