Captain Rohit leads India to comfortable victory over Ireland

India captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with an impressive half-century before retiring injured, guiding his team to an eight-wicket victory over Ireland in their first T20 World Cup group match in New York on Wednesday.

After 14 wickets fell for 157 runs in South Africa's first match on the temporary drop-in pitch, which saw Sri Lanka defeated by six wickets, India bowled Ireland out for 96 with four overs remaining.

Rohit, on the other hand, allayed fears that the Adelaide-imported pitches would be too helpful to the quicker bowlers, easing his way to 52 from 37 balls with three sixes and four fours ahead of one of the tournament's most anticipated games against Pakistan on Sunday.

After Rohit won the toss on an overcast morning, Ireland collapsed to 46 for six.

Only Gareth Delaney showed any real defiance in the face of an attack in which fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was virtually unplayable, taking two for six from three overs and beating all of the batsmen in the air and off the pitch.

Delaney, batting at number seven, scored 26 from 14 balls, including a four and six off left-arm paceman Arshdeep Singh before being run out. Only three other Irish players made double figures.

After Virat Kohli was quickly dismissed for one, Rishabh Pant (36 not out) batted with characteristic bravado, scoring the winning runs with a reverse sweep for six.

Bumrah, who was named man of the match, stated that the ball started out fast and bounced around.

"Once the seam goes down the pitch does settle down," he said. "You have to be prepared to bowl in all conditions."

SportsLigue