India v Ireland
Wisden's review of the 34th match, India v Ireland
15-Apr-2016
At Hamilton, March 10, 2015 (day/night). India won by eight wickets. Toss: Ireland.
With their vocal supporters packing Seddon Park's stands and banks, India brushed Ireland aside with clever spin bowling and powerful batting. They racked up their ninth successive World Cup win, to confirm top spot in Pool B. Ireland batted well before throwing away a fine start: Porterfield and Stirling took 60 off the first ten overs, the most India conceded in the opening powerplay throughout the tournament. But Dhoni had introduced spin in the tenth, and India's four slow bowlers whiled away 22 overs in just 62 minutes. The Irish stalled, managing only 87 for two in that period, then playing rash shots when the seamers returned: their last seven tumbled for 53. Niall O'Brien scored an impressive run-a-ball 75, but was as guilty as any when he softly chipped Mohammed Shami to backward square leg; Balbirnie and Wilson had fallen sweeping. Ireland desperately needed early wickets, but Dhawan was dropped twice off Mooney (a return catch on five, and by the diving Porterfield at backward point on ten) on his way to a superb 84-ball century. He and Rohit Sharma went on to raise 174, India's largest opening stand in World Cup cricket, before Thompson - in his first match of the tournament - removed both. WILL MACPHERSON
Man of the Match: S. Dhawan.
With their vocal supporters packing Seddon Park's stands and banks, India brushed Ireland aside with clever spin bowling and powerful batting. They racked up their ninth successive World Cup win, to confirm top spot in Pool B. Ireland batted well before throwing away a fine start: Porterfield and Stirling took 60 off the first ten overs, the most India conceded in the opening powerplay throughout the tournament. But Dhoni had introduced spin in the tenth, and India's four slow bowlers whiled away 22 overs in just 62 minutes. The Irish stalled, managing only 87 for two in that period, then playing rash shots when the seamers returned: their last seven tumbled for 53. Niall O'Brien scored an impressive run-a-ball 75, but was as guilty as any when he softly chipped Mohammed Shami to backward square leg; Balbirnie and Wilson had fallen sweeping. Ireland desperately needed early wickets, but Dhawan was dropped twice off Mooney (a return catch on five, and by the diving Porterfield at backward point on ten) on his way to a superb 84-ball century. He and Rohit Sharma went on to raise 174, India's largest opening stand in World Cup cricket, before Thompson - in his first match of the tournament - removed both. WILL MACPHERSON
Man of the Match: S. Dhawan.