Yuvraj Singh grabbed five wickets for 31 and then topsored with an unbeaten 50 to steer India to an emphatic five-wicket win over Ireland in their crucial Group B match in the World Cup at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here today.
After restricting Ireland to 207 in 47.5 overs, India made 210 for five with four overs to spare to record their second win in three outings. They had beaten co-hosts Bangladesh in the tournament opener at Mirpur in Dhaka on February 19 and were then involved in a pulsating tie with England at this same venue on February 27.
The match was played out at a sedate pace for the most part, but right-handed Yusuf Pathan provided some fireworks towards the end, hitting three powerful sixes and two fours on way to an unbeaten 30 off just 24 balls. It was only appropriate that he brought off the winning runs by pulling a short one from John Mooney to the fence for four.
Yuvraj's 50 came off 75 balls and included three hits to the fence. Opener Sachin Tendulkar (38), Virat Kohli (34) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) were the other Indian batsmen who got among the runs. That and his performance with the ball made him the easy choice for Man of the Match.
Incidentally, this was the first time that a player had taken five wickets and scored a half century in a World Cup match. The fact that it was also his first five-wicket haul made it Yuvraj's day.
Though India were never really under pressure, given the depth of their batting, Ireland, who had stunned England in their previous outing here, made the home team work hard for the runs
Chasing a modest target, India found themselves on the defensive very soon, as opener Virender Sehwag fell in the second over, caught and bowled by Trent Johnston after making just 5 off 3 balls. India were 9 for 1 in 1.1 overs.
The left-handed Gautam Gambhir did not last very long either. He was caught by Alex Cusack at short fine leg off Johnston. He had made only 10 and India were reduced to 24 for two in 5.2 overs.
Tendulkar and Kohli managed to steady the innings to a large extent and took India to 87 for two in 20 overs.
But George Dockrell struck, trapping Tendulkar leg before wicket when he tossed up one and straightened it out. Tendulkar, attempting to sweep the ball, missed it completely and was caught in front. He discussed the wisdom of asking for a review of the decision but decided against it after realising that he had no chance. That made India 87 for 3 in 20.1 overs. Tendulkar's 38 included four hits to the fence and came off 56 balls.
Kohli was run out a little later. He had made 34 off 53 balls with the help of three boundaries and India were 100 for four in 23.4 overs. Yuvraj had played one from White to square, and Kohli bounded out for a single, but there was a bit of confusion and the throw to the bowler's end found Kohli well out of the crease.
Earlier, put in to bat first by Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ireland, aided by a well-constructed 75 by skipper William Porterfield, managed to make 207 in 47.5 overs after a disastrous start.
Porterfield added 113 runs for the third wicket in the company of Niall O'Brien, who contributed 46.
Alex Cusack (24) and Trent Johnston (17) were the only other Irish batsmen to get into double figures today.
Left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh was the main wicket-taker for the Indians, with figures of five for 31 from his 10 overs. Pace bowler Zaheer Khan took three for 30 and Munaf Patel got one for 25.
There was a buzz around the stadium as Sehwag and Tendulkar came out to and they were not disappointed as Sehwag slammed the very first ball, sent down by Boyd Rankin, through covers for a four. A single brought Tendulkar to the crease, and he despatched an overpitched delivery for a four past square leg. At 9/0 after the first over, there was a sense of anticipation in the crowd.
Johnston changed that with his very first delivery, and the bowler could not help breaking into his famous chicken dance routine as Sehwag got a leading edge and sent the ball back to the bowler, instead of on the leg side as he had intended.
The left-handed Gambhir and Tendulkar kept the runs coming in through a series of singles and twos. Gambhir then came down the wicket and square cut Johnston hard for a superb four. In the next over, Gambhir shuffled across to Rankin and tucked the ball away to fine leg for another four. India were 24/1 after five overs.
Johnston struck again in his next over, sending one down on the leg stump. The batsman wanted to tuck it away past short fine leg but only ended up providing an easy catch to the grateful Cusack. There was silence around the stadium. Clearly, this was not what they had come to witness. India were 24 for two in 5.2 overs.
George Dockrell was brought into the attack and Tendulkar greeted him with an exquisite cover drive for four. Virat Kohli, who came in at the fall of Gambhir's wicket opened his account with a single off a drive along the ground to long-off.
Tendulkar and Kohli set about the task of repairing the Indian innings. Kohli got four off Dockrell, thanks to a thick inside edge that went past the wicket-keeper for four to fine leg. In the next over, Tendulkar despatched Johnston with a powerful shot to the mid-off fence.
Kohli picked up one from John Mooney and sent into the deep backward square leg boundary and in the next over, he despatched a short one from Paul Stirling, again to backward square leg for another boundary.
But, in general, he and Tendulkar were generally content to keep the scoreboard moving with singles and twos. They seemed to be confident in the knowledge that the asking rate was only a little over four an over, and the fact that there was some good batting to follow.
At the end of 15 overs, India were 66 for two. Tendulkar lap swept Andrew White to fine leg for a four. But the boundaries were now few and far between as the Irish bowlers kept the batsmen under check.
India were 100 for four in 23.4 overs after the dismissals of Tendulkar and Kohli. This brought Dhoni and Yuvraj together, and they added 67 runs for the fifth wicket. Yuvraj sent one from Stirling to the mid-wicket boundary for four. A little later, Dhoni punished a full toss from White through the covers for another four.
Such moments were, of course, rare and it was several overs before Dhoni chose an overpitched delivery from Cusack to despatch it to mid-off for a boundary. Three overs later, Yuvraj picked out a low full toss from the same bowler and hit wide of deep mid-wicket for a four.
After a few more quiet overs, Dhoni made his exit, caught leg before wicket by Dockrell. His 34 came off 50 balls and included two fours. That brought Pathan on to the scene, and promptly sent the second ball he faced to the fence for a powerful four.
The next ball was despatched towards the sight screen for a mighty six and two balls later, he came up with an ever bigger six, over long-on. That burst virtually wiped out any hopes that the Irish players may have nursed, though there was still some distance to go.
In the 45th over, Pathan hammered Stirling out of the ground, over long-on, for his third six and the crowds roared in approval. He hit the winning runs off the last ball of the next over.
Earlier in the afternoon, Ireland, who had pulled off a major upset by beating England in their previous match, at the same venue, began in edgy fashion, losing opener Paul Stirling (0) to the fourth ball of the innings sent down by Zaheer Khan, who knocked his stumps down with one that angled across at a good length and found the gap between bat and pad.
Just the previous ball, Porterfield was dropped by Yusuf Pathan at second slip after he had got a thick outside edge. The Irish skipper went on to take full advantage of that chance.
Ed Joyce (4) fell to another superb delivery from Khan in the third over, caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni after groping outside the line and getting an inside edge. Ireland were at that stage 9 for 2 in 2.3 overs.
Porterfield and O'Brien kept their heads and slowly went about rebuilding the Irish innings, even as the Indians appeared to be losing a bit of their intensity as the innings progressed.
O'Brien took a brace off Harbhajan to bring up the 50 of the innings. At the other end, Porterfield celebrated by sending a short one from Yusuf Pathan past cover point for a four, with Munaf Patel hardly making an effort to stop the ball.
Porterfield took a single off the fist ball of Piyush Chawla's first over to bring up the 50 of the partnership off 88 balls. Three balls later, the Irish captain went down on one knee and sent one that was wide of the leg-stump deep into the stands at deep square leg for the first six of the innings and the 100th of the tournament.
The batsmen kept the scoreboard moving at a fairly good pace, running a lot of singles and twos.
The left-handed Porterfield sent one from Pathan crashing through the cover for four and four balls later, O'Brien sliced him to third man for another boundary.
A single off the next ball brought up the 100 of the innings in 23 overs.
Porterfield crossed the half-century mark with a powerful driive through extra cover off Chawla, who had over-pitched the delivery. His fifty came off 67 balls and included five fours and a six.
A single by O'Brien in the same over brought up the 100 of the partnership. At the half-way mark of 25 overs, Ireland were 118 for two and looked set for a respectable total.
But India finally got the breakthrough it was looking for. Porterfield pushed Harbhajan towards cover, where Virat Kohli stopped the ball and sent it in quickly to Dhoni, who broke the stumps even as O'Brien dived forward. The third umpire had no hesitation in ruling him run out, and Ireland were 122 for three. O'Brien made 46 valuable runs off 78 balls and hit three fours.
Yuvraj Singh then got one to turn away and Andrew White, who had made only 5 off ten balls, got an outside edge for Dhoni to take an easy catch behind the stumps, making it 129 for four.
Kevin O'Brien, who came in at the exit of White and the hero of Ireland's victory over England with the fastest World Cup century ever, off just 50 balls, smashed Chawla off the back foot through extra cover for his first four.
But in the next over, he made his exit, as he hit the ball back to Yuvraj Singh for the bowler to take a rather easy return catch. He had made only 9 off 13 balls with one hit to the fence, and his departure was clearly a big blow for Ireland, who were now 147 for five in 33.4 overs.
Things could have been much worse for Ireland, but Yuvraj Singh failed to hold on to another return catch off the last ball of that over, this time from Alex Cusack.
Porterfield took a single off Chawla to bring up the 150 of the innings. Off Chawla's next over, the Irish captain despatched a loose one straight down the ground for four.
At the other end, Yuvraj Singh's run of luck continued. He got Porterfield finally, caught by Harbhajan Singh at cover as the batsman smashed a rather bad delivery from him straight into the hands of the fielder. Porterfield made a well-compiled 75 with the help of one six and six fours off 104 balls. Ireland were 160 for six in 37.1 overs when he left. Cusack took a four off the last ball of that over.
Yuvraj Singh struck again in the 42nd over, trapping John Mooney leg before when the batsman moved half forward to defend and was struck on the pad. The batsman called for a review of the decision, which was upheld. Mooney made just 5 off 17 balls and Ireland were 178 for 7 in 41.5 overs.
Well, Yuvraj was not quite done. In his next over, he thought he had Cusack plumb leg before but the umpire turned down the appeal. India called for a review and the umpire finally reversed his decision to get the bowler his fifth wicket. Ireland were 184 for eight in 43.4 overs. Cusack made 24 off 30 balls with three hits to the fence.
George Dockrell was the next to go, caught behind by Dhoni off Khan. Dockrell was attempting a drive and got a very thick outside edge and Dhoni, who had a good day behind the stumps today, dived fully to his right to catch the ball just inches off the ground. The batsman had made only three in Ireland's total of 201 for nine in 46.6 overs.
Trent Johnston hit Patel for a four, glancing the ball gently past fine leg. But Patel finally got him, trapped leg before. Johnston called for a review of the decision and the umpire's call was upheld, bringing the Irish innings to an end at 207 in 47.5 overs. Johnston had made 17 off 20 balls with two boundaries. Boyd Rankin was unbeaten on 1.
Among the Indian bowlers, Chawla gave away 56 runs off his eight overs without getting a wicket, while Harbhajan Singh also failed to get a wicket, from his nine overs in which he gave away 29 runs.
