New York: Captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 52 before retiring hurt with a sore elbow, while Rishabh Pant remained unbeaten on 36 as the duo steered India to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Ireland in their first Group A game of the Men’s T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium here.
Everything went right for India from the time they elected to bowl first on a bowler-friendly pitch which had some variable bounce too.
The fast bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya’s 3-27, dominated thoroughly by picking eight wickets collectively to bowl out Ireland for 96 in 16 overs.
In reply, Rohit and Pant hung around to begin their campaign with a win by completing the chase with 46 balls remaining and getting their eighth successive victory over Ireland in men’s T20Is.
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With the pitch doing all sorts of tricks, India decided that controlled aggression would be the right way to go about a low chase. For Ireland, it was about latching on to the smallest chances coming their way to try to make a match out of it.
It became a bit tough when Andrew Balbirnie failed to hold on to a tough chance at second slip when Rohit threw his bat at a wide outswinger from Mark Adair. Rohit was lucky to have an inside edge off Joshua Little for four, followed by dispatching a full toss over long-on for six.
But Virat Kohli fell in the third over, as he sliced a short and wide ball to deep third man off Adair. Pant, making a comeback in international cricket after nearly 17 months, was off the blocks by smashing a full ball from Adair down the ground for four. Rohit then used the pace of Little to slice over backward point for four, as India ended Power-play at 39/1.
With strike-rotation going steady, it made life easier for India as Pant hit Barry McCarthy for a straight four, while Rohit pulled Little for consecutive sixes and then swiped an Adair full-toss through vacant deep mid-wicket region for four to bring up his fifty in 36 balls.
But shortly after, Rohit retired hurt on 52 due to a sore elbow caused by a previous blow sustained off Little. Pant took two blows off Little, including on the left elbow, before pulling a short ball for six. He smashed Ben White through extra cover for four, though the leg-spinner had Suryakumar Yadav holing out to deep mid-wicket.
Pant finished off the chase in style with an astonishing trademark reverse paddle-scoop over the keeper’s head for six to be 36 not out in his comeback international game and get India’s campaign in the tournament off to a flying start.
