Bangalore: Yuvraj took 5 wickets and hit 50 runs to change the game as India put back the ‘minnows’ label to Ireland, which had earlier trounced mighty England.
In a Group B match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday, he earned the Man-of-the-Match award for his singular efforts.
Chasing a small 208, India put on 210 with Yusuf Pathan hitting a boundary off the last ball of the 46th over to finish the match with four overs still remaining.
Ireland didn’t score much but their players were in no mood to give India an easy victory. Opening bowler Trent Johnston went as per his plan, removing Virender Sehwag on the first ball of the second over.
The Irish pressed on and Gautam Gambhir also fell cheaply. Gambhir fell for 11 and the India scorecard read 24/2 in 5.2 overs.
Unfortunately for Ireland, Johnston was injured on his knee while bowling the 10th over of the innings. He completed his over, and left the field soon after.
Then Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli got on to a partnership. Tendulkar fell to 18-year old left-arm spinner George Dockrell on 38 with an LBW written against his initials. A clean and straight delivery hit Tendulkar on the thigh when he was trying to go for a sweep shot. Tendulkar’s 63-run third wicket stand with Kohli helped India to 87/3.
Now it was celebration time for the Irish fans, as India lost their fourth wicket quicky with Virat Kohli getting run out when the India score was 100. He scored 34.
But with a deep batting line-up India had nothing to fear. Soon Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni forged a partnership to push the score from 100/4 to 167/5. The fifth wicket was that of skipper Dhoni, who fell to Dockrell on 34 in very much the same fashion as Sachin Tendulkar had departed with an LBW against his name.
Then it was Yusuf Pathan’s turn to hit his famous over the fence shots and raise the scoring rate. He hit two sixes off Dockrell to drive home that point that India’s win was round the corner.
In the 45th over India decided to take the Powerplay and raise the tempo and wrap up the innings early. That they did in the 46th over with 210 runs on board.
Thus ended Irish challenge in World Cup against a formidable India.