India didn’t have to extend themselves as they eased to a 76- run win in the first of two T20s against Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma hit a blistering 97 and added 160 for the opening wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (74) as the Indians made 208-5 in Malahide.
In reply, Ireland looked decent as they reached 72-2 in the tenth over with James Shannon scoring his maiden T20 fifty.
But wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4-21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3-38) restricted the hosts to 132-9.
Virat Kohli’s team thus started their nearly three-month tour of England and Ireland on the perfect note.
SELECTION SURPRISE
KL Rahul was benched by Kohli.
India made a controversial selection move by keeping KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik out of the playing XI.
Rahul was in red-hot form in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab and according to most pundits should be a guaranteed starter in white ball cricket. Karthik, meanwhile, was the star for India in the Nidahas Trophy T20 final against Bangladesh as he hit a eight-ball 29 to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat in a tense chase.
However, both players were overlooked by Kohli, with the Indian skipper going for the as of yet unimpressive Manish Pandey and the experienced Suresh Raina.
OPENERS ON FIRE
Highest 1st wicket partnership in T20I:
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) June 27, 2018
171 ~ Kane/Guptill
170 ~ Smith/Bosman
165 ~ Rohit/Rahul
160 ~ Rohit/Dhawan*
158 ~ Rohit/Dhawan
A flat wicket and a non-threatening Irish attack meant Dhawan and Rohit didn’t need a second invitation.
Aided by a dropped chances – on 66 at deep cover by Stuart Thompson – Rohit blazed away to 97 from 61 balls which included eight fours and five sixes.
He added 160 for the opening stand with Dhawan who made 74 from 45 with five hits to the fence and as many over it.
Rohit missed out on his third T20 century as he tried to hoick Peter Chase over the leg side but lost his leg stump.
LAST OVER MAYHEM
With India at 201-2 and Rohit on the verge of a ton, Chase had the unenviable task of stopping the bleeding. And he did an exemplary job.
He first got MS Dhoni to hit one straight to midwicket before getting the well-set Rohit in the next ball. Another ball later,the tall seamer got the biggest scalp of his career – captain Virat Kohli caught for a duck at midwicket.
Ireland gave away seven runs for three wickets in the final over, which was some consolation. Seamer Chase finished with splendid figures of 4-35 ultimately.
INDIA’S UNCONVINCING START
Indian fielding was not up to mark in the opening overs. Hardik Pandya dropped Shannon running backwards in the first over. Chahal misjudged a chance from Shannon running in from square leg with Bhuvneshwar Kumar denied a wicket again.
Rohit capped a poor start in the field for India as he grassed a sitter after Shannon top edged a Jasprit Bumrah slower one to short mid wicket.
Shannon made India pay for their largesse as he cracked his maiden fifty in T20 Internationals.
SPIN DOES IT FOR INDIA
Kuldeep Yadav picked up four wickets.
Batsmen can slog against fast bowlers and get away with it, but they can’t against proper wrist spin.
Once Kuldeep and Chahal came on to bowl, the wheels came off Ireland who had moved on to 72-2 in the 10th over.
After a couple of confident lbw appeals against captain Gary Wilson, Kuldeep got one to land right in front of the stumps and hit Shannon’s pad for an lbw verdict.
From there, it was a procession. Two tantalising leg breaks from Chahal accounted for Kevin O’Brien and Wilson in successive deliveries.
At 123-8 in the 16th over, it was game over.
