India set themselves up nicely for the sterner tests ahead with a dominant performance as they outclassed Ireland by a whopping 76 runs in the opening T20 International, here on Wednesday.
Dubbed as dress rehearsal for the marquee England series, the formidable Indian team outbatted the opposition scoring an imposing 208 for five, courtesy openers Rohit Sharma (97 off 61 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (74 off 45 balls).
In reply, Ireland could only manage 132/9 in 20 overs despite a breezy innings of 60 off 35 balls by opener James Shannon.
Summary
That's it! India have taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series with a 76-run victory in the first match at Dublin. It has been a complete perfromance by the visitors. Rohit and Dhawan ensured a 200 plus total and then the wrist spinners - Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav - did their job, picking up seven wickets between them to complete a one-sided affair.
The 2nd T20I will take place in the same ground on June 29, Friday.
Boom boom Bumrah
The Bumrah missile knocks over Dockrell. A pin point yorker, Dockrell gave himself a bit too much room for comfort and Bumrah doesn't need a second invitation. India a wicket away now.
Kuldeep you beauty!
Another double wicket over, this time from Kuldeep Yadav. What a beuty to get rid off Poynter, who had no clue whatsoever. A perfect googly that pitched on middle and hit the top of off stump. And before that he had also picked up Thompson for 12. Kuldeep ends up with figures of 4 for 21 in four overs - his best ever in T20Is
Double strike for Chahal
Shannon's wicket have derailed the Ireland innings and Yuzvendra Chahal is the chief destroyer. Kevin O'Brien was the first to go, trying to clear the long-off boundary and then captain Gary Wilson attempted an extravagant heave to get stumped off the very next ball. Chahal has three and Ireland have lost their sixth wicket.
Shannon falls for 60
Kuldeep Yadav draws curtains on a brilliant innings form Shannon (60 off 35). A quicker delivery that goes on with the arm, Shannon, despite being well set, fails to pick it and goes for a paddle sweep to end up missing it completely. An easy LBW decision for the umpire.
Kuldeep gets Simi
Who says a spinner can pick another spinner? Kuldeep Yadav completely deceives Simi Singh in the air, who closes the face of his way too early only to get a leading edge and give a simple catch to Virat Kohli at cover. Irealand 72/3 after 9.3 overs.
Maiden T20I fifty for Shannon
Chahal too good
That looked like live action in slow motion. Everything looked so inevitable. Chahal tossed one up outside, Balbirnie gives the charge but does not get to the pitch of the ball, ends up missing it altogether. Dhoni does not miss those and India have their second break after an entertaining partnership. Irealnd 52/1 after 6 overs
Two skiers go a-begging
Sort of an action replay of Ireland's fielding. Two skiers put down by one of the safest Indian fielders - Yuzvendra Chahal and Rohit Sharma, Rohit's was the easier one for sure. Ireland should have been three down by now. Both Balbirnie and Shannon have got a life each, can they capitalize?
Bumrah strikes in his 1st over
The worst possible start for Ireland. Their main man Paul Starling has been picked up Jasprit Bumrah. He was hurried on to that pull shot by Bumrah, extra pace and bounce meant Stirling had no time rock on to the backfoot and go through with his shot, a simple catch for Kuldeep Yadav at mid on. India strike early.
Ireland would need a similar start from their openers if they are planning to go anywhere near India's total.
India innings
A SIX from Hardik Pandya to give a grand finish to the Indian innings. India have managed to post 208 for 5 riding on a superb 97 and an equally good 94 from Shikhar Dhawan. But what about that last over from Chase? Picked up Rohit Sharma (97), MS Dhoni(11) and Virat Kohli (0) in one over to return with figures of 4 for 35 in his four overs. Before this match, Chase had no wickets to show in his T20 career.
Rohit falls three short of hundred
BOWLED! Rohit Sharma falls three short of his 3rd T20I ton and young Peter Chase gets his thrid wicket of the day but what an innings from Rohit.
Ireland strike again
A wicket out of nowhere. Chase bowls it short, around middle, Raina looks to tuck it away but plays is rather uncomfortably. Hits it uppishly and Kevin O'Brien accepts the dolly at deep square leg.
Dhawan falls for 74
Stop the press. Ireland have taken a catch. Stop the press after starting it again. STUART THOMPSON has taken a catch. Full and outside off, Dhawan looks to go over the top but mistimes it. The ball goes towards long off and Irish fans might have just closed their eyes on seeing who is underneath it. But this time, Mr. Thompson comes running in and takes a fine diving catch. He then signals towards the crowd in jubilation as to finally having taken one. End of a mammoth opening stand. India are in a terrific position - this is my opinion - there are a few beside me that they are going below par! Such are the standards set by this team. Dhawan well, might consider a century gone abegging.
Rohit joins Dhawan
Fifty for Dhawan 100 for India
BIGGEST SIX of the match
That's HUGE! This might not be the biggest grounds but boy that would have cleared any ground in the world. A gigantic hit from Rohit Sharma. Gives himself room, extends his arms to time it. The ball lands deep over the long-on boundary.
Simi Singh despatched
Indian origin off-spinner Simi Singh's first over yields 12 runs including a huge six over deep mid-wicket by Rohit Sharma. One can't help but think, it has been too easy for India so far. Not a single delivery has gone past the bat, the openers have hit big whenever they wanted to.
Dockrell starts well
The left-arm spin of George Dockrell brings back calmness in the game. Six singles coming from his over. Rohit, Dhawan giving Ireland's best spinner the respect that he deserves. India 65/0 after 6 overs.
Oohs and Aahs
One blow to the helmet for Dhawan followed by an opportuity to dismiss him but to no avail. Something for the Ireland fans to cheer about.
India get to 50 in 5
13 runs off the Kevin O'Brien over and that's India's fifty. Phew! What an opeing partnership this has been. Dhawan (22) and Rohit (23) are going strength to strenght.
Rohit joins the party
Easy! That's what comes to mind when Rohit Sharma hits those classy boundaries. Two of those coming in this over. Rohit gave himself room to use Rankin's extra bounce to loft it over the cover-point region to get his first boundary and when Rankin over compensated, Rohit just used his wrists to collect yet another boundary. India are up and running at 37/0 after 4 overs.
Dhawan on the charge
A shimmy down the track to lift Thompson over mid-off for a beautiful boundary followed by an even better swivvle over the mid-on for the first six of the match. Oh wait! Dhawan isn't done yet, walks across the stumps to flick under pressure Thmpson past short-fine leg for the second boundary off the over. 17 runs coming from it. India 28/0 after 3 overs.
Wrong line and Rohit makes full use of it
Young Peter Chase just gets it wrong, the ball drifting down the leg side and Rohit doesn't need a second invitation, does he? A flick of the wrist and away she goes. Still didn't get it off the middle though, perhaps a little rusty. But India have got 10 off the 2nd over. India: 11/0 after 2 overs
Accurate start
A very good first over from Boyd Rankin, five dot balls in it, just 1 from it. Rankin followed old school here, hit the right areas, just at the back of a length and the Indian openers decided to give it the due respect. India 1/0 after 1 over
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have made their way out into the middle. The tall and lanky Boyd Rankin will start the proceedings for Ireland.
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Ireland (Playing XI): Gary Wilson(c), Paul Stirling, James Shannon, Andrew Balbirnie, Simi Singh, Stuart Poynter(w), Kevin O Brien, Stuart Thompson, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin, Peter Chase
Team News: Ireland have decided not include their first ever Test captain William Portrfield and Andy McBrine. India, on the other hand, have decided to drop Dinesh Karthik, who had hit a last ball six to win India the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka.
Toss: Ireland won the toss and opted to field first against India, in their 100th T20I.
The Mood
Pitch Report
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first T20I between India and Ireland at Dublin.
Record Watch: India are playing its 100th T20I. For the record, India have lost both their 100th Test match and ODI. So if India manages to beat Ireland, which is a very likely, then it would be India's first vitory in their 100th match across formats. With 63 victories and 35 loses, India have the second best win percentage, second only to Afghansitan.
The Preview
It's the dress rehearsal before the the actual test but India would do well not to let the guard down when they take on a lowly but effervescent Ireland in a two-match T20 rubber, starting tomorrow.
The games will mark the onset of a long summer for the Indian team, with sterner tests against England to follow this short series in Malahide on the outskirts of Dublin. England have just hammered Australia in an ODI series and most of their top players are in sublime form.
Perhaps it was a marker of this crucial impending assignment that India decided to stay on and practice in London on Monday.
While the contingent had arrived from Delhi on Saturday, this was a first training session on-tour, held at the Merchants Taylor School cricket ground.
Reportedly, the players were split into three groups while practicing all facets of the game.
Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar headed the pace group along with all-rounder Hardik Pandya, while a few others practised fielding drills. Among batsmen, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan enjoyed a first stint together.
Skipper Virat Kohli and the in-form KL Rahul batted together in adjacent nets against spin and pace respectively.
While Rahul has been a constant part of the T20I squad, Ajinkya Rahane's omission from the ODI squad means that he is once again a contender for the number four spot when the three-match series against England begins on July 12.
Since the tour of South Africa, this is the first time a full-strength Indian team will be seen in action.
Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and MS Dhoni were rested for the T20 tri-series in Sri Lanka in March. The former trio also missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru recently.
With Rahul in contention for a starting spot in the middle order, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik will be left jostling for two spots.
As part of the full-strength Indian side, the three had featured in the T20 series against South Africa. Raina had been used as a pinch-hitting, aggressive number three option, but the current situation might warrant a re-think.
Nevertheless, Raina provides a sixth bowling option as well. India would also not want to drop Dinesh Karthik, who is in sizzling form since March.
It could mean that Pandey eventually warms the bench, despite scoring 255 runs in 8 T20Is this year against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at an average of 85.
On the bowling front, Kohli will be tempted to field both leg-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, giving them an early taste of conditions here.
However, the pace department is an area of concern, as the second-choice fast bowlers have not enjoyed enough game time.
Since the 2017 Champions Trophy, India have played 32 ODIs and 18 T20Is, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah handling the new ball in 26 ODIs and 9 T20Is, respectively.
Umesh Yadav last played an ODI in September 2017 against Australia at Bengaluru. Siddharth Kaul was in the Indian squad for the home ODIs against Sri Lanka in December, but was not picked ahead of Kumar-Bumrah.
Kaul is also yet to make his T20I debut, while Yadav played his only T20I back in 2012. It remains to be seen if the think tank will bench either Kumar or Bumrah against Ireland to give other pacers some much needed overs.
India and Ireland do not have a rich playing history. Despite touring England in 2011 and 2014, this is the Men in Blue's first visit here since 2007 when they played a solitary ODI at Belfast.
Rohit, Dhoni and Karthik were part of that squad, albeit Karthik was picked ahead of Dhoni in the playing eleven for that one-off game.
Overall, India and Ireland have played only four times, in three ODIs (the other two during 2011 and 2015 ODI World Cups) and a T20I in 2009 during the World T20 in England.
India had won that game at Nottingham by eight wickets with Rohit scoring an unbeaten half-century. Dhoni and Raina are the other ‘current' members from that playing eleven nine years ago.
For Ireland, skipper Gary Wilson, former captain William Porterfield and all-rounder Kevin O'Brien are the ones to have T20 experience against an Indian team.
Meanwhile, 31-year-old Punjab-born off-spinner Simranjit Singh will enjoy the spotlight of playing against his erstwhile nation.
Teams:
India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Siddarth Kaul.
Ireland: Gary Wilson (c & wk), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell , Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Kevin O'Brien, William Porterfield, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, James Shannon, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson.