XtraTime Web Desk: India started their campaign very well ahead of the England tour as they beat Ireland with an ease by 76 runs in the first T20I on Wednesday.
Which is regarded as a practice series ahead of a long England series, the Indian batting line up showed their power by posting a mammoth of a total of 208 for five, thanks to a brilliant batting by their openers Rohit Sharma (97) and Shikhar Dhawan (74).
In reply, Ireland could only manage 132/9 in 20 overs despite a breezy innings of 60 off 35 balls by opener James Shannon.
Irish batsmen didn’t have a clue how to play chinaman Kuldeep Yadav (4/21 in 4 overs). His partner in crime Yuzvendra Chahal was hit for four sixes but eventually ended with improved figures of 3 for 38 in his four over spell.
As Kuldeep-Chahal ran through the top and middle-order, the rest of the batsmen were incapable of making a match of it. Such was their plight that save Shannon, none of the other home team batsman scored above 15.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/16 in 4 overs) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/19 in 4 overs) were as usual steady at the start and effective at the death.
However a lot of credit should once again go to Rohit, who missed out on a well-deserved third T20 international century. The Indian vice-captain made amends for his poor IPL form with a breathtaking innings in company of an in-form Dhawan, who was also keen to send the bowlers in a leatherhunt.
The opening pair put on 160 in 16 overs to set the foundation. However India lost three wickets in the final over, preventing them from scoring in excess of 225, which looked likely on a placid track. But the score was above par for an Ireland side, which rarely gets to play quality opposition.
Young right-arm medium pacer Peter Chase finished with career-best figures of 4 for 35 with a memorable 20th over in which he accounted for Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11), Rohit and skipper Virat Kohli (0).