India outclass Ireland

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir put on 164 for the second wicket as Ireland were comprehensively thrashed at Stormont.

Ganguly finished on 75 not out and Gambhir unbeaten on 80 as Ireland’s second ever home one-day international ended in a nine-wicket loss.

After a three-hour delay for heavy rain in the province, India were set a revised target of just 171 to win from 39 overs.

Ireland’s Roger Whelan was thrown the ball on his international debut and handed the unenviable task of attempting to contain India openers Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly.

His first delivery in international cricket clipped former India skipper Ganguly’s pads and ran away for four leg byes.

However, Whelan refused to be downcast and with the last ball of his first over the Irish debutant got the ball to nip through Tendulkar as the opener attempted to play across the line.

Gambhir, who averages less than 30 at one-day international level, started quickly after replacing Tendulkar, scoring his first boundary in the fourth over off Thinus Fourie and then striking his second behind square in the next over off Whelan.

After a slow start, Ganguly, who has scored more than 10,000 one-day international runs, was the next to punish the wayward bowling of Whelan, scoring his first boundary through the covers as India cruised along at five runs an over.

Ireland refused to throw in the towel, with Will Porterfield inspirational in the field as Ganguly – desperate to avoid a repeat of India’s World Cup shambles - started to get bogged down off the bowling of Fourie.

Ireland skipper Trent Johnston opted to take his side’s second powerplay and throw the ball to medium pacer Kevin O’Brien, but the move backfired as Ganguly scored two boundaries in his first over to get the scoreboard ticking over once more.

Injury-plagued Johnston helped put the brakes on the Indian innings, bowling his first two overs for just three runs, which included beating Ganguly’s outside edge on two occasions.

Ganguly was fortunate not to give away his wicket in the next two overs as first his lofted drive off O’Brien just cleared the infield and then an inside edge flew inches past the stumps off Johnston’s bowling.

Ganguly, a veteran of 292 one-day internationals, continued to struggle against the accurate seam bowling of Johnston – twice seeing the ball fly past the outside edge in the 21st over.

India brought up their 100 as Ganguly nudged a ball from Kyle McCallan for a single, while Gambhir brought up his third one-day international 50 an over later as he flicked a Fourie delivery off his hips for single.

Gambhir pulled McCallan to square leg for a single as the Indian pair brought up their 100 partnership, while Ganguly brought up his 68th one-day half-century off 79 balls with a single.

Whelan was welcomed back into the attack and after being given his third and final warning for running on to the pitch, Ganguly pressed the accelerator as he hit the Irish debutant for six into the stands.

The writing looked on the wall in the 32nd over as Gambhir cut loose and hit Johnston for two boundaries.

And Ganguly scored the winning runs to seal a nine-wicket win, guiding Fourie to third man for two runs with 24 balls to spare.