India has comprehensively beaten an Irish team that looked promising throughout the tournament but wasn't able to deliver against the defending champions. This is India’s ninth consecutive victory in World Cups dating back to the March 20, 2011 when they defeated West Indies by 80 runs.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co have also maintained their perfect record of bowling out the opposition in this World Cup, making it five consecutive matches – a first for India. Thus, in these five matches – against Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, West Indies and Ireland – India has taken 50 wickets. Only South Africa have a longer streak in World Cups – bowling out the opposition six times consecutively in the 2011 World Cup.
Ireland, on their part, registered the highest total against India in this World Cup so far, scoring a mighty 259 that seemed defendable during the innings break. It could have been higher if it wasn't for Ravichandran Ashwin who pegged the Irish back. At one stage they were 206-3 in 38 overs and only managed to add 53 more runs. It’s also Ireland’s highest total against India in three meetings. India though, led by their highest opening partnerships in World Cup – 174 runs between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – easily chased down 260 with 79 balls to spare.
Records tumble
The partnership of 174 runs is the highest opening stand against Ireland in World Cups. The previous best was Andrew Strauss & Kevin Pietersen at Bangalore during the 2011 edition. This is India’s sixth 100-plus opening stands in World Cups. They also surpassed the highest partnership in this World Cup of 172 by Moeen Ali & Ian Bell for England v Scotland at Christchurch.
Shikhar Dhawan scored a fantastic century off just 85 balls. Whenever Dhawan has scored a century in ODIs – his eight today – India have always won. In fact, whenever Dhawan has scored 95 runs or more in a One-Day International match, India has won. He had done this nine times prior to today. He also joins Sachin Tendulkar as the only other Indian to have scored two hundreds in a single World Cup. There have also been no centuries against India during this World Cup. Only other teams to have no centuries scored against them so far are New Zealand and UAE.
Captain Cool
MS Dhoni now has 9 consecutive World Cup wins, the most by an Indian captain. He went past Sourav Ganguly, who had eight wins on the trot in the 2003 World Cup. Dhoni is fifth on the list of captains with the most wins in World Cups.
Dhoni has now surpassed Kapil Dev for the most number of wins by an Indian captain in the World Cup. Mohammad Azharuddin and Ganguly follow behind.
After today’s result, India has topped pool B and will play their quarter-final match either on March 18 at the Sydney Cricket Ground or March 19 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ireland on the other hand is in a three-way tussle with Pakistan and the West Indies to qualify based on net run rates. South Africa, with a superior run-rate have in all likelihood secured second spot in pool B.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co have also maintained their perfect record of bowling out the opposition in this World Cup, making it five consecutive matches – a first for India. Thus, in these five matches – against Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, West Indies and Ireland – India has taken 50 wickets. Only South Africa have a longer streak in World Cups – bowling out the opposition six times consecutively in the 2011 World Cup.
Ireland, on their part, registered the highest total against India in this World Cup so far, scoring a mighty 259 that seemed defendable during the innings break. It could have been higher if it wasn't for Ravichandran Ashwin who pegged the Irish back. At one stage they were 206-3 in 38 overs and only managed to add 53 more runs. It’s also Ireland’s highest total against India in three meetings. India though, led by their highest opening partnerships in World Cup – 174 runs between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – easily chased down 260 with 79 balls to spare.
Records tumble
The partnership of 174 runs is the highest opening stand against Ireland in World Cups. The previous best was Andrew Strauss & Kevin Pietersen at Bangalore during the 2011 edition. This is India’s sixth 100-plus opening stands in World Cups. They also surpassed the highest partnership in this World Cup of 172 by Moeen Ali & Ian Bell for England v Scotland at Christchurch.
Shikhar Dhawan scored a fantastic century off just 85 balls. Whenever Dhawan has scored a century in ODIs – his eight today – India have always won. In fact, whenever Dhawan has scored 95 runs or more in a One-Day International match, India has won. He had done this nine times prior to today. He also joins Sachin Tendulkar as the only other Indian to have scored two hundreds in a single World Cup. There have also been no centuries against India during this World Cup. Only other teams to have no centuries scored against them so far are New Zealand and UAE.
Captain Cool
MS Dhoni now has 9 consecutive World Cup wins, the most by an Indian captain. He went past Sourav Ganguly, who had eight wins on the trot in the 2003 World Cup. Dhoni is fifth on the list of captains with the most wins in World Cups.
Dhoni has now surpassed Kapil Dev for the most number of wins by an Indian captain in the World Cup. Mohammad Azharuddin and Ganguly follow behind.
After today’s result, India has topped pool B and will play their quarter-final match either on March 18 at the Sydney Cricket Ground or March 19 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ireland on the other hand is in a three-way tussle with Pakistan and the West Indies to qualify based on net run rates. South Africa, with a superior run-rate have in all likelihood secured second spot in pool B.
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