Yuvraj takes five as India down fighting Ireland

Yuvraj takes five as India down fighting Ireland

 

Yuvraj Singh put in a superb all-round display as India survived some anxious moments to post a five-wicket victory over a fighting Ireland in their World Cup match on Sunday.
The part-time spinner bagged a maiden five-wicket haul to restrict Ireland to a modest 207 and then hit an unbeaten 50 to help his side achieve the target with four overs to spare in the day-night match in Bangalore.
India were wobbling at 100-4 before Yuvraj and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) added 67 runs for the fifth wicket.

 


Yusuf Pathan gave the finishing touches to India's second win in three matches with an attractive 24-ball 30 not out, which included two sixes and one four in one over from left-arm spinner George Dockrell.
Ireland, who upset England in their last match at this venue on Wednesday, made India struggle for runs with their disciplined bowling and brilliant fielding.
Paceman Trent Johnston, who became the third Irish player to figure in 50 one-day internationals, jolted India when he dismissed Virender Sehwag (five) and Gautam Gambhir (10) in his opening three overs.
Johnston, who sustained an injury after falling on his follow-through, did not bowl after five overs.
India looked in trouble when Sachin Tendulkar (38) was trapped lbw while attempting to sweep Dockrell and Virat Kohli (34) was run out. The pair added 63 for the third wicket.
Left-arm spinner Yuvraj (5-31) earlier played a key role in restricting Ireland despite an impressive 75 from skipper William Porterfield.
His victims included Kevin O'Brien (nine), who hammered the fastest century in World Cup history against England, as Ireland lost their last eight wickets for 85 runs in a dramatic collapse.
Yuvraj gave the capacity crowd plenty to cheer about after left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan had rocked Ireland with two early wickets.

 




Porterfield, dropped on nought by Pathan in the slips off Zaheer, went on to complete his fifth half-century in one-dayers before being caught in the covers off Yuvraj. He hit one six and six fours.
Ireland were on course to post a challenging total following a 113-run stand for the third wicket between Porterfield and Niall O'Brien (46) before they slipped from a healthy 122-2.

 




They suffered a crucial blow when well-set Niall O'Brien was run out after completing 1,000 runs in one-day internationals. His brother, Kevin, failed to repeat his heroics from the last match as he offered a return catch to Yuvraj.
There was no hint of the slide when Porterfield and Niall O'Brien were steadying the innings after Zaheer's double strike. The Irish pair never looked in trouble, comfortably gathering runs against both pace and spin.
Zaheer struck with the fourth delivery of the match when he bowled Paul Stirling for a duck before having Ed Joyce caught behind for four.

Yuvraj guides India to victory over Ireland

Yuvraj guides India to five-wicket victory

Yuvraj held centre-stage with a match-winning unbeaten 50 in a pressure situation after scalping five with his much improved left-arm spin earlier in the day.

 

 

 

He eased into strokes in front of the wicket with the flow of a natural. Yuvraj Singh also displayed a heart that complemented his large frame.

 


Indeed, Yuvraj held centre-stage with a match-winning unbeaten 50 in a pressure situation after scalping five with his much-improved left-arm spin. Focussed and committed, he had also banished self-doubts, the biggest scourge of them all.
At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, here, on Sunday, Yuvraj lived a World Cup dream in the cauldron as India defeated a spirited Ireland by five wickets in a hard fought Group `B' match.
He embraced history by becoming the first cricketer to come up with a five-wicket haul and score a half-century in the same match of a World Cup. Man of the Match, Yuvraj certainly was.
The pitch played differently from the ones for the earlier games here and the pursuit of 208 was a tricky one. The surface was dual paced – a few deliveries stopped before meeting the bat while some others hurried after pitching. Batting demanded application.

 


Ireland fought hard. The bowling was accurate and the fielding sharp. Every run had to be earned.
Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni coped well with a stressful situation. The left-right duo batted straight, milking the bowling before launching into the odd big blow.
However, Ireland continued to chip away. Dhoni (34) was trapped leg-before by a delivery that held its line from left-arm spinner George Dockrell.

Yuvraj scripts Indian win against gritty Ireland

Yuvraj held centre-stage with a match-winning unbeaten 50 in a pressure situation after scalping five with his much improved left-arm spin earlier in the day.

 

He eased into strokes in front of the wicket with the flow of a natural. Yuvraj Singh also displayed a heart that complemented his large frame.

Indeed, Yuvraj held centre-stage with a match-winning unbeaten 50 in a pressure situation after scalping five with his much-improved left-arm spin. Focussed and committed, he had also banished self-doubts, the biggest scourge of them all.

At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, here, on Sunday, Yuvraj lived a World Cup dream in the cauldron as India defeated a spirited Ireland by five wickets in a hard fought Group `B' match.

He embraced history by becoming the first cricketer to come up with a five-wicket haul and score a half-century in the same match of a World Cup. Man of the Match, Yuvraj certainly was.

The pitch played differently from the ones for the earlier games here and the pursuit of 208 was a tricky one. The surface was dual paced – a few deliveries stopped before meeting the bat while some others hurried after pitching. Batting demanded application.

 

Ireland fought hard. The bowling was accurate and the fielding sharp. Every run had to be earned.

Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni coped well with a stressful situation. The left-right duo batted straight, milking the bowling before launching into the odd big blow.

However, Ireland continued to chip away. Dhoni (34) was trapped leg-before by a delivery that held its line from left-arm spinner George Dockrell.

Then, Yusuf Pathan launched into Dockrell with two huge sixes between the straight-field and long-on. Yusuf (30 not out) settled the issue with another stroke for the maximum over long-on off off-spinner Paul Stirling.

The battle-scarred Trent Johnston struck at the start. Virender Sehwag's leading edge was plucked by the bowler with glee and the left-handed Gautam Gambhir was held brilliantly the at short fine-leg by Alex Cusack when he attempted to turn a length delivery.

Ireland was full of beans and the pressure was on India. Maestro Sachin Tendulkar and a determined Virat Kohli strung together a partnership.

Tendulkar cover-drove Dockrell gloriously while Kohli was feisty with his horizontal bat shots.

India had progressed to 87 after 20 overs when Tendulkar missed a sweep off Dockrell. Soon Kohli was walking back after a terrible mix-up following a Yuvraj stroke square off the wicket. Then, Dhoni and Yuvraj joined forces.

This, indeed, was a contest where Yuvraj took flight. Yuvraj's bowling has evolved. Essentially a round-arm bowler when he began, he brings more body into his action these days. Consequently, there is more work on the ball.

And his stump-to-stump line can force batsmen to commit mistakes in the game's abbreviated form.

Yuvraj often delivers from wide of the crease, mixing the deliveries sliding into the batsmen with the ones straightening or spinning just a tad away. The Irish batsmen were unable to pick him.

And Yuvraj varied his pace, even floating a few deliveries. Dangerman Kevin O' Brien perished when he misjudged the length of a Yuvraj delivery to knock back a return catch.

And Zaheer Khan was spot on after Dhoni elected to field. The crafty left-arm paceman moved the ball away from the left-handed William Porterfield, a delivery requiring precision and control.

In fact, Porterfield could have been prised out in the first over had Yusuf Pathan held the ball on second attempt after leaping to his left to palm a rapidly travelling edge.

Zaheer switched his line to the right-hander admirably and castled opener Stirling with the one that nipped back. The paceman was on song.

The left-armer harried the left-handed Ed Joyce. The southpaw, expecting the ball to seam away, ended up playing down the wrong line. The delivery darted in to kiss the inside edge for Dhoni to hold a smart catch.

Dhoni displayed more imagination in managing the overs. Yusuf was introduced in the fourth over to send down his off-spin. Then Harbhajan Singh replaced Pathan in the eighth over.

And once Zaheer finished a searing first spell (5-1-15-2) Munaf replaced him from the far end ensuring India maintained a mix of pace and spin.

 

Despite the Indian ploy, Ireland scripted a recovery from nine for two. The left-handed pair of Porterfield and Niall O' Brien displayed resolve, collecting singles and twos while putting away deliveries lacking in length.

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, struggling for the right line while bowling at the left-handed pair, was taken to the cleaners. Perhaps, Chawla attempted too many variations without quite settling into a rhythm. Porterfield grew in confidence while Niall displayed quick hands like most 'keepers do. Niall used the depth of the crease capably to pick runs behind the wicket.

The duo had added 113 runs for the third wicket when a smart piece of fielding by Kohli at cover – he swooped on the ball before firing in a throw to Dhoni – caught Niall short of the crease.

Skipper Porterfield (75), eventually, succumbed to a delivery lacking in length from Yuvraj; it was a soft dismissal.

Ireland, gradually, lost its way. The Indian fielding was marginally better and Dhoni did hold a fine catch flinging himself to his right when Zaheer forced an edge from Dockrell.

 

All-rounder Yuvraj sinks fighting Ireland

 Yuvraj Singh put in a superb all-round display as India survived some anxious moments to post a five-wicket victory over a fighting Ireland in their World Cup match on Sunday.
The part-time spinner bagged a maiden five-wicket haul to restrict Ireland to a modest 207 and then hit an unbeaten 50 to help his side achieve the target with four overs to spare in the day-night match in Bangalore.

 

 

India were wobbling at 100-4 before Yuvraj and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) added 67 runs for the fifth wicket.

Yusuf Pathan gave the finishing touches to India’s second win in three matches with an attractive 24-ball 30 not out, which included two sixes and one four in one over from left-arm spinner George Dockrell.

“I think the most important thing is that everyone got a chance to bat. We were batting under pressure,” said Dhoni, whose side now sit top of Group B.

“We are showing signs of improvement. I feel it’s importanat to peak at the right time because it’s a long tournament. What we have seen is slow and gradual improvement in the bowling side.”

Ireland captain William Porterfield, who made an impressive 75 as opener, said his side were 40 runs short of a challenging target.

  

 

“I think we got ourselves into a great position after losing two early wickets. We’re fighting well and we fought right until the end. An extra 40 runs could have been interesting,” he said.

Ireland, who upset England in their last match at this venue on Wednesday, made India struggle for runs with their disciplined bowling and brilliant fielding.

Paceman Trent Johnston, who became the third Irish player to figure in 50 one-day internationals, jolted India when he dismissed Virender Sehwag (five) and Gautam Gambhir (10) in his opening three overs.

Johnston, who sustained an injury after falling on his follow-through, did not bowl after five overs.

India looked in trouble when Sachin Tendulkar (38) was trapped lbw while attempting to sweep Dockrell and Virat Kohli (34) was run out. The pair added 63 for the third wicket.
Left-arm spinner Yuvraj (5-31) earlier played a key role in restricting Ireland despite an impressive 75 from Porterfield.

His victims included Kevin O’Brien (nine), who hammered the fastest century in World Cup history against England, as Ireland lost their last eight wickets for 85 runs in a dramatic collapse.

Yuvraj gave the capacity crowd plenty to cheer about after left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan had rocked Ireland with two early wickets.

Porterfield, dropped on nought by Pathan in the slips off Zaheer, went on to complete his fifth half-century in one-dayers before being caught in the covers off Yuvraj. He hit one six and six fours.

Ireland were on course to post a challenging total following a 113-run stand for the third wicket between Porterfield and Niall O’Brien (46) before they slipped from a healthy 122-2.

 
 

They suffered a crucial blow when well-set Niall O’Brien was run out after completing 1,000 runs in one-day internationals. His brother, Kevin, failed to repeat his heroics from the last match as he offered a return catch to Yuvraj.

There was no hint of the slide when Porterfield and Niall O’Brien were steadying the innings after Zaheer’s double strike. The Irish pair never looked in trouble, comfortably gathering runs against both pace and spin.

Zaheer struck with the fourth delivery of the match when he bowled Paul Stirling for a duck before having Ed Joyce caught behind for four.