Brief scores:

India – 208/5 (20 overs)
Rohit Sharma 97 (61)
Shikhar Dhawan 74 (45)
Peter Chase 4/35
Kevin O’Brien 1/36

Ireland – 132/9 (20 overs)
James Shannon 60 (35)
Stuart Thompson 12 (8)
Kuldeep Yadav 4/21
Yuzvendra Chahal 3/38

Ireland’s T20I skipper Gary Wilson won the toss and invited Kohli and Co. to bat first in India’s 100th T20I. Our skipper Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opened the batting and played out a quiet first over from Boyd Rankin. Rohit got going in the second over and got India on track before Shikhar Dhawan took the baton to become the aggressor.

The duo added 50 runs in just 5 overs, stomping their authority on what looked like a slow wicket initially. Ireland’s skipper Gary Wilson was left asking for options before George Dockrell was brought to slow down the run-rate. Rohit Sharma, after settling in, let himself loose and pounced on anything that was bowled to his pads. He flicked Simi Singh over midwicket for a six before lifting Boyd Rankin over long-off for another massive maximum.

Shikhar Dhawan brought up his fifty and India’s century stand in style with a six before Rohit joined the party. The Hitman got to his 15th half-century in T20Is, his third successive score of over fifty at the highest level.

Ireland’s skipper, Gary Wilson, had already used 7 options but to no success. Rohit Sharma was dropped twice by Stuart Thompson and the explosive right-hander made the home side pay by adding to their woes. Shikhar Dhawan on the other end wasn’t holding back either, hitting almost everything that came his way.

India raced past 150 in the 16th over before Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket for a 45-ball 74. Suresh Raina (10) and MS Dhoni (11) chipped in with quick cameos as Rohit Sharma kept pummelling the bad balls to the fence.

The prolific right-hander was three shy of a record-equalling third T20I ton when Chase cleaned him up, bringing an end to a terrific knock. India lost three wickets in the last over before Hardik Pandya hit a MS Dhoni-esque helicopter shot for a six to take the Men in Blue to 208/5 at the end of their full quota.

Defending 209 for a win, Jasprit Bumrah got rid of the attacking Paul Stirling from only his second ball before Andy Balbirnie joined James Shannon to resurrect their innings. Ireland managed 43 without any further damage at the end of the powerplay before Chahal got Balbirnie stumped for 11.

James Shannon was undeterred all this while, taking the attack to the Indians but found no support from the other end. Simi Singh’s struggle came to an end when Kuldeep Yadav forced him to play a mistimed shot straight to India skipper Virat Kohli.

The asking rate started to climb with India’s wrist spinners spinning a web around the Irish men. The host’s resistance came to an end with James Shannon falling to Kuldeep Yadav for a 35-ball 60.

Kevin O’Brien (10) and skipper Gary Wilson (5) fell off successive deliveries to Chahal as Ireland kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Kuldeep Yadav picked up the two Stuarts – Thompson (12) and Poynter (7) to return figures of 4/21 from his full quota.

Jasprit Bumrah, in his returning spell, cleaned up George Dockrell with a perfect yorker to pick his second of the day. Ireland eventually were restricted to 132/9, 76 runs short of India’s total.

India meet Ireland in the second and final T20I on June 29.