India crush Ireland; K(oh)linch series

India made four changes to their playing eleven – Shikhar Dhawan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah made way for Lokesh Rahul (the player of the match), Dinesh Karthik, Twenty20 International debutant Siddarth Kaul and Umesh Yadav.

Ireland made just one change to the eleven that last played the Indians – Stuart Poynter made way for William Porterfield.  

(Wils)On winning the toss, Gary, Ireland’s skipper, inserted the visitors.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 57, without the loss of a wicket.

Virat Kohli, whose eight-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Sixteen balls into the match, he was caught by George Dockrell. Peter Chase broke the 22-run stand.

India scored 50 off 4.5 overs (29 balls). Ireland had conceded four extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 29 balls. While Rahul’s contribution to the partnership was 26, Suresh Raina’s contribution to it was 25. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

India scored 100 off 10 overs (60 balls). Ireland had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Rahul’s half-century – which included three boundaries and four sixes – came off 28 balls.

The second-wicket pair put on 100 off 51 balls. While Rahul’s contribution to the partnership was 55, Suresh Raina’s contribution to it was 40. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen.

Rahul, whose 36-ball (Kev)innings included three boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes, eventually scored 70. Fifty-seven balls later, he was caught by O’Brien, who broke the 106-run partnership.

The third-wicket pair didn’t get off the (Shar)mark. Rohit, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Paul Stirling off the bowling of O’Brien.

Raina’s half-century – which included four boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 34 balls.

India scored 150 off 15.2 overs (92 balls). Ireland had conceded nine extras at that point.

Raina, whose 45-ball innings included five boundaries and three sixes, eventually scored 69. Thirty balls after Sharma’s dismissal, he was caught by Dockrell. O’Brien broke the 41-run stand.

India scored 200 off 19.3 overs (117 balls). Ireland had conceded a dozen extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Manish Pandey, whose 20-ball innings included a boundary, scored 21. He was unbeaten, as was Hardik Pandya, who scored 32. His nine-ball innings included a boundary and four sixes.

India scored 213 for the loss of four wickets off 20 overs.

Stuart Thompson, who bowled a wicketless overs, conceded 17. Simi Singh and Stirling bowled a couple of wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 32, the latter conceded 19. Boyd Rankin, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 33. Dockrell, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 30.

Chase, who bowled four overs, conceded 42. He picked up a wicket. O’Brien, who bowled four overs, conceded 40. He picked up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of Ireland’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 30, for the loss of four wickets.

Ireland’s openers didn’t get off the mark. Stirling, whose faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. A couple of balls into the chase, he was caught by Raina off the bowling of Umesh.

Porterfield, whose 11-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 14. Fourteen balls later, Umesh broke the 16-run stand.

James Shannon had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored just two. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Rahul. Kaul broke the run-a-ball stand.

Although Andy Balbirnie’s innings included a boundary, he had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored nine. Fourteen balls later, Yuzvendra Chahal broke the eight-run stand.

O’Brien, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t get off the mark. Three balls later, he was caught by Kuldeep Yadav. Pandya broke the two-run stand.

Singh, whose faced a couple of balls, didn’t get off the mark. Five balls later, he was trapped leg be‘four’ wicket by Chahal.

Wilson, whose 18-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 15. Kuldeep had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he broke the eight-run stand.

Ireland scored 50 off 9.5 overs (59 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

Dockrell, who faced eight balls, scored just four. Ten balls later, he was caught by Umesh. Kuldeep broke the 12-run stand.

Thompson, whose nine-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 13. Ten balls later, Chahal broke the 12-run stand.

Rankin, whose eight-ball innings included a six, scored 10. Four balls later, he was stumped by Karthik. Kuldeep broke the two-run stand.

Chase, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. He was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded three extras. Ireland, who were bundled out for 70 off 12.3 overs, lost by 143 runs.

Pandya and Kaul bowled a couple of overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 10, the latter conceded four.

Umesh, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 19. He picked up two wickets.

Kuldeep, who bowled 2.3 overs, conceded 16. He picked up three scalps, as did Chahal, who bowled four overs, conceding 21.  

India won the two-match series 2-0.