Shikhar Dhawan century helps India to overcome Ireland

 

Match 34, Ireland V India played at Seddon Park, New Zealand

Ireland  259 all out  William Porterfield 67,  Naill O’Brien 75, Mohammad Sami 41-3,

Ashwin 38-2 India 260-2 Shikhar Dhawan 100, Rohit Sharma 64, Stuart Thompson 45-2

India sailed past limited Ireland attack to eight-wicket victory at Seddon Park and topped

Pool B in the Cricket World Cup.

Porterfield elected to bat, before a 11,000 crowd in New Zealand’s fourth largest city, the captain and Paul

Stirling put on 89 for the first wicket from 15 overs. But Ashwin, Jadeja and Suresh Raina  tied the Irish

batmen who found boundaries difficult to come. Porterfield 67  and Niall O’Brien the top scorer with 75

including three sixes, one of which was helped over the boundary rope by Mohammed Shami hopping high

to try to take the catch.

After dismissing Ireland for 249 with an over to spare when their spinners established a stranglehold on the

top-order batting, Rohit Sharma  64 from 66 balls, and Shikhar Dhawan  100, his eighth one-day century

form 84 balls,  with 5 sixes,  played cautiously for couple of overs.

They then launched a vigorous attack, with elegant drives with impulsive pulls, mixed with cheeky singles.

Dhawan was dropped on five when John Mooney failed to hold a aggressive caught-and-bowled chance.

After scoring five further runs he was dropped again off Mooney, at backward point when captain William

Porterfield dodged a vicious cut was floored.

Virat Kohli (44 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (33 not out) took their team to victory with 13.1 overs to spare.