Ireland fell to a 76-run defeat by India in the two-match T20I-series opener in Dublin. Having scored a truckload of runs, the Kohli-led men disappointed Ireland with a clinical bowling display as well.

Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl first. It was a decision they were soon regretting as India rode on the ruthless batting displays from their openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who shared the team’s second-highest opening stand in T20Is.

Kevin O’Brien broke the partnership by sending Dhawan back to the hut but the damage had already been done as India now had 160 runs on the board in just 16 overs. Dhawan scored 74 off 45 and shortly after his departure, Peter Chase scalped Suresh Raina’s wicket.

Chase then went on to dismissed MS Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat Kohli in a space of four deliveries in the very last over to complete his four-fer, but by then India’s total had gone past 200 runs and Hardik Pandya finished the innings by clearing the rope.

Chase bowled out Rohit Sharma when the batsman was just three runs short of his third T20I hundred.

In reply, Ireland had a 60-run knock from James Shannon, which only helped the team in decreasing the margin of defeat. Only three other batsmen from the Irish team were able to enter the double-digits with none of them scoring more than 12 runs.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, after a successful ODI series in South Africa, teamed up once again to bamboozle the Irish this time. Yadav got 4 wickets while Chahal took 3 and Jasprit Bumrah, who made the early breakthrough for India, got the ninth wicket of the opponents as well.

 

Scores:

IND 208/5 (20 Overs)