(UTV|COLOMBO) – Rohit Sharma (97 off 61) and Shikhar Dhawan (74 off 45) put on a massive 160-run partnership for the first wicket after India were put into bat first, with the visitors amassing 208-5 from their 20 overs, the Sky Sports reported.
Ireland opener James Shannon (60 off 35) impressed, striking a maiden T20I fifty, but the rest of batting line-up badly struggled against the Indian spinner, in particular, as the home side could only muster 132-9 in reply.
In sweltering, sunny conditions, India got off to an equally blistering start, with Dhawan and Sharma smashing five sixes apiece in enterprising half centuries.
Sharma was then dropped twice by Stuart Thompson, on 66 and 73, before Thompson made it third time lucky in finally clinging on at long-off to dismiss Dhawan as he toe-ended Kevin O’Brien high into the sky.
Peter Chase (4-35) had some fun in the final overs, taking three wickets in four balls – MS Dhoni (11) holing out in the deep, Sharma clean bowled to have Chase on a hat-trick, and then captain Virat Kohli dismissed for a duck soon after.
That, and Shannon’s confident knock was about all there was for the full house Irish crowd to enjoy, as wickets regularly tumbled during their run-chase.
Paul Stirling (1) fell to Jasprit Bumrah (2-19) in just the second over, out to a top-edge, while spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4-21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3-38) dominated thereon.
[alert color=”faebcc” icon=”fa-commenting”]Keeping up to date with breaking news while you are on the move is now simple with UTV Alerts [textmarker color=”8a6d3b”]Type REG UTV and send to 77000[/textmarker] on your Dialog or Hutch mobile connection[/alert]
