Yuvraj Singh 50

Determined Yuvraj guides chase
Yuvraj Singh 50

Yuvraj Singh

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli settled India's nerves after two early wickets but both fell just before the 25-over mark to raise a window of hope to Ireland in Bangalore.

Trent Johnston, who is the top wicket taker for Ireland, hit two vital blows early to ensure India's wouldn't waltz to an easy win. Virender Sehwag fell, getting a leading edge to the bowler on an attempted whip to the on side, triggering a chicken-dance celebration from Johnston. Gautam Gambhir went, flicking a length delivery on the pads to short fine-leg to leave India on 24 for 2 in the 6th over.

Almost immediately, William Porterfield brought in the teenaged left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who turned in a pleasing opening spell that read 4-0-14-0. He rarely gave anything to cut, always bowled slow through the air and was never afraid to flight. He had Kohli mistiming a few shots and made Tendulkar bat cautiously. Success came in his second spell, when he struck in his first delivery of the 21st over, trapping Tendulkar with a delivery that went past the attempted sweep. He could have got the wicket of Kohli, too, in his next over but Niall O'Brien, the keeper, couldn't hold on to an edge.

The Indian batsmen preferred to play within themselves and indulged in nudges and dabs. Kohli attempted a big hit once, against Dockrell, but ended up edging it dangerously past the leg stump to the fine-leg boundary. Post that, he returned to his shell, started to deal in singles but he was run out in the 24th over after a misunderstanding with Yuvraj Singh.