Ireland make India work for their five-wicket World Cup win

Yuvraj Singh excelled to guide India to a five-wicket victory over Ireland in their World Cup Group B match in Bengaluru on Sunday. Yuvraj scored 50 off 75 balls to follow his best World Cup bowling figures, of five for 31, as India overhauled the Irish in 46 overs. The left-hander put on 67 with his captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 34.

Earlier, the Ireland captain, William Porterfield, had scored 75, but a lack of contributions elsewhere meant Ireland were bowled out inside 48 overs. Bowling after India had won the toss, Zaheer Khan gave them a terrific start by taking the wickets of Paul Stirling and Ed Joyce in successive overs. Porterfield and Niall O'Brien steadied the ship but a piece of brilliance from Virat Kohli ran out O'Brien, who had made a patient 46. By then Porterfield, who was dropped in the first over by Yusuf Pathan, had reached his second World Cup half-century, off 67 balls, and added 113 with O'Brien for the third wicket.

Wickets fell thereafter as the batsmen were bamboozled by Yuvraj and Ireland fell to 184 for eight from 122 for three. Kevin O'Brien, whose stunning innings had beaten England, was caught and bowled by Yuvraj for nine. The fall of Porterfield dashed hopes of a late surge as the opener played a loose shot. Yuvraj was the first left-arm spinner to take five wickets in a World Cup match. Ireland inched past 200 in the 47th over but Zaheer and Munaf Patel polished off the tail with 13 balls left. Zaheer finished with three for 30.

The visitors gave India a scare by removing Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir with just 24 on the board. But Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli eased any nerves by adding 63 in 15 overs. George Dockrell had his big moment when he trapped the former for 38.

India reached 100 in the 24th over, but a mix-up with Yuvraj sparked Kohli's dismissal for 34, bringing Dhoni to the middle. Yuvraj and Dhoni put on 37 in 10 overs to keep the chase on track and India moved past 150 in 37 overs. There was another scare when Dockrell trapped Dhoni lbw but a couple of sixes from Pathan brought the target down to 25 off nine overs.

The pair rattled off the required runs with four overs to spare as Pathan scored the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 30 off 24 balls.