After that amazing match against England, which ended up as a tie, India were looking to bounce back immediately. Ireland were also on an high after pulling off an amazing victory against England, at the same ground, as Kevin O'Brien stared withe the quickest century in world cup history(off 50 balls). This suddenly became an big match for both teams after great matches against England. They were playing at the Bangalore stadium but not the same pitch as the ones against England it was an slower pitch which will take spin. With this in mind India won the toss and invited Ireland into bat.
The decision payed off straight away as Stirling was bowled on the 4th of of the match. Zaheer Khan bowled an super slower straight yorker to bowl Stirling. He had no chance of playing it and Ireland were 1-1 after 4 bowls. It brought out the Ed Joyce. Zaheer Khan wasnt done yet as in his second over he tormented Ed Joice all over getting the edge each bowl he played at and on the 5th bowl he edged it behind to Dhoni and Ireland were in trouble straight away at 9-2. This brought out the wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, the brother of Kevin O'Brien. He had to do a rebuilding job for Ireland.
They went about there rebuilding job at an slow but steady pace. The bowling by India was very good and Ireland were prepared to be patient and bind there time and hit away the bad balls when they come. The first powerplay headed just 27 runs for the loss of those 2 wickets. India continued to ball tightly and only scored 20 runs in the second powerplay. But crucially Ireland hadnt lost any wickets in that time since the 2 early wickets. They reached there 50 in the 16 over. Soon afterwards they reached the 50 partnership off 88 balls. Ireland then started to score more freely and the run rate was slowly increasing. Niall O'Brien and the captain Porterfield were having a little bit of control of the match as they quieten the crowd down they getting easy singles and twos and were perfectly happy to wait for the bad ball to come there way to put away.
By the end of the 23rd over Ireland had reached there 100. They got there off 139 balls and they were looking at an score of around 250 at this stage if they could keep wickets in hand and big hitters like Kevin O'Brien and Cusack still to come. They soon reached an impressive 100 partnership and got there off 129 balls. Porterfield and Niall O'Brien were looking good for 50ts and maybe push on from there. But at 122-2 an mix up between Porterfield and Niall O'Brien as they hesitated for an run and Niall O'Brien was run out. He will be frustrated as he worked so hard to get to 46 NO. The captain ran out Niall O'Brien. This brought out White.
But White didnt stay too long at the crease as he only made 5 runs before Yuvraj Singh came to the party with his spin. White got fouled by the spin and hit against the spin. He didnt time it and it popped up in the air and it was an easy catch for Dhoni. This brought out Irish hero of last match Kevin O'Brien. He showed his power early on as he scored an powerful boundary against the bowling of Chawla. But the person who was really playing well and was overshadowing him was his captain Porterfield. He was leading the team from front really well. But then Kevin O'Brien disappointed the Irish crowd and all the neutrals which came to watch him when he chipped back a catch to Yuvraj Singh and he was out for 10. Ireland were 147-5. This brought out the other exciting player Cusack, who played a supered support role for Kevin O 'Brien against England.
Porterfield was starting to play and miss and few balls and hitting the outside edge on a few occasions as India again were bowling really tightly again but Porterfield was responding to the pressure really well. But after working so hard to get to 75 he got an short ball by Yuvraj Singh which he hit straight to Harbhajan Singh. He looked really disapointed with that shot getting out to one of Yuvraj's worser balls. He was on for an brilliant century but was out for 75 off 104 balls with 6 fours and 1 six. Ireland were now 160-6. It brought out Mooney.
Cusack knew he had to take on the bowling and try and get Ireland to an score of 220-230 to give Ireland an chance of winning this match. Cusack was scoring as he was finding the gaps. Mooney though didnt hang around too long as he was LBW to Yuvraj Singh as he got his 4th wicket as Johnston is the next batsman in. Cusack was going along well when he tried sweep the ball on the leg side he missed it. Dhoni appealed but no-one else. Dhoni was so confident that he was out that he reviewed it and it showed would have hit middle stump and the decision was over-turned and it was 184-8. Johnston played an quick fire 17 runs as he helped them limp over 200. The spinner Dockrell was out for 3 and Johnston was the last man out as they were bowled out for 207. Yuvraj Singh doing the main damage taking 5-31, Zaheer Khan getting 3 wickets30 in 9 overs with Patel getting 1 and the other wicket was an run out by Kohli.
The Indian replay started off really badly as they also lost a couple of wickets early on. Johnston got Sehwag out for 5 runs after he hit Johnston for a boundary the ball before. It was an shot straight back at Johnston and it was an easy catch. After Gambhir hit a couple of boundaries Rankin bowling Johnston got another as he tried to hit acute a ball to but Cusack taken an good low catch. India were 24-2. It was up to Tendulkar and Kohli to rebuild the innings as they try to get past Ireland.
Those 2 batsman steadied the ship and allowed got the score board ticking over. After the first powerplay India were 43-2. There was an blow for Ireland as well as Johnston fell on his shoulder and had to walk go off the field for the rest of the match. India reached there 50 in the 12th over off 71 balls as they got there innings back on track. What Tendulkar, AKA the little master, was showing how to pace an innings where you dont have to go all out attack from the word go. Tendulkar and Kohli were happy to find the gaps take the singles and twos wait for the bad ball play everything on its merit. Before they knew it they had make an 50 partnership. They got it off 72 balls and in that partnership they only were given 1 extra so very tidy bowling by the Irish. For the Irish disciplined there reward happened when the young 18 year spinner Dockrell got the biggest wicket of his life as trapped Tendulkar middle and leg for 38. It was what Ireland deserved and Dockrell deserved from bowling really well. This brought out Yuvraj Singh to the crease.
India safely made it to 100 without losing any more wickets but Ireland had got the run rate lowered with there good bowling and there building pressure. India got to there 100 in 140 balls with the Irish discipline brilliant by only conceding 4 extras. The Irish pride there fielding as one of there best aspects and it showed when India had an break down in communication between Kohli and Yuvraj and fast work by the Irish to run Kohli out. India at this stage were in a lot of bother at 100-4. It brought out the captain Dhoni to the crease.
These two batsman are very experienced and are positive attacking players. But the Irish bowling remained tight with the spinners bowling really well Dockrell and Stirling these two batsman could not play there natural games. They had to settle for 1s and 2s rather than 4s and 6s. But these two batsman looked assured and were prepared to play that game hitting to the gaps and waiting for bad balls. While the spinners were on the boundaries were hard to come by and once again the Irish had a the crowd silence as they gave these batsman trouble. But Ireland dared India to play them at this game and India played along. It was fun for the fans to watch but it was just what India needed. They never looked in trouble of getting out but they were playing really well. They reached there 150 and there 50 partnership. They reached it in the 37th over while the 50 partnership happened in 78 balls.
But as this pair looked to be slowly getting India over the line brilliant Dockrell in his final over got Dhoni out for 34. He got that off 50 balls and only hit 2 fours in that innings. That is an credit to Ireland's bowling that an insult to Dhoni. It gave Ireland an chance in this match. But then the big hitting Pathan came to the crease. He reined Dockrell figures in the last 4 balls. He tried to hit Dockrell out of the park first ball and only just missed the ropes but still got 4. The second ball was an dot as he hit it straight to the fielder. The third ball he hit Dockrell out of the park. He has such an strong player that it cleared the rope by a long way without even middling the bat. Dockrell last bowl was hit even future as he this time got it out of the middle and went for an massive 6. He ruined Dockrell figures in 4 balls to 2-49 in 10 which isnt bad but before he was in it was 2-33. It also put India close to victory when it might have been a tight finish.
With the pressure off India after Pathan's big hit the question was more can Yuvraj get to his 50 or will Pathan hit too many out of the park. It looked as if Parthan woul ruin the day when he hit Rankin out of the park for another 6 but then Parthan decided to not attack any more of the bowling to try and help Yuvraj chance of getting 50. Yuvraj continued of playing his normal self by hitting the ball around the park but he wasnt getting the boundaries because of the Irish bowling or fielding. At the start of the 46th over. They needed 8 runs and Yuvraj was 5 runs short. He then hit Mooney for an boundary off a full toss and the the next ball he hit away for 1 to get to his 50. He got it off 75 balls which only had 3 fours. There was just about enough time for Pathan to hit one more boundary as they strolled to victory as they got there with 4 overs to spare.
Yuvraj Singh was man of the match by being the first Indian to take 5 wickets and score a 50 in a world cup match. The captain Porterfield was the star of the show for Ireland scoring 75. Dockrell is a star in the future got an impressive 2 wickets including Tendulkar and before Pathan final blast was 33-2 off 9.2 overs but ended up with 49-2 off his 10 and Johnston got 2-16 off 5 before he got injured. India move on to play the Netherlands next at the capital on Wednesday. As the Irish move onto Mohali where they play as they look to do another shock in this unpredictable cricket world cup.
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