IND vs IRE Ball by Ball Commentary

SIX! OUTRAGEOUS FROM RISHABH PANT! A contender for the shot of the tournament! This has taken us back to Pant's audacious reverse lap against James Anderson during the Ahmedabad Test in 2021. Barry McCarthy bowls it on a length, on off, Rishabh Pant premeditates and brings out the reverse lap. Executes it to perfection as he gets it over the keeper and clears the fence with ease. Barry McCarthy is left bewildered. India win by 8 wickets!

Hits the deck hard, on off, Rishabh Pant looks to stab it down the deck. The ball takes off the deck and hits Pant on the left forearm. Pant has copped a lot of blows during his stay at the crease.

Pushes it through, flatter and shorter, on off, Shivam Dube gets on the back foot and chops it to backward point.

Turning into the right-hander, full and it is tempting for the batter to play the big shot. Shivam Dube calmly whips it to mid-wicket.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Suryakumar Yadav tries to finish it with a maximum but holes out! Ben White offers flight nicely and keeps it full, on off, and middle, Suryakumar Yadav crouches to get underneath it and tries to get it over deep mid-wicket. Gets more height than the distance and skies it very high in the air towards deep mid-wicket where George Dockrell runs in off the ropes and takes a well-judged catch looking into the sun.

Loops it right up to the batter, on off, Rishabh Pant uses his feet and drills it down to long off for one.

FOUR! Cracked away! Dishes out the googly, full and on off, Rishabh Pant picks it early and makes room before smashing it over cover for a boundary.

Starts off on a nagging length, angling in, on middle and leg, Suryakumar Yadav goes on the back foot and turns it in front of square on the leg side for a single.

Hard length, angling away from outside off. Suryakumar Yadav dabs it away through to the left of deep third for a single.

Good-length delivery pitched outside off. Suryakumar Yadav shuffles across and swings using his wrists but misses.

Good length, nipping in from outside off. Rishabh Pant gets in an awkward position again, getting an inside edge to the leg side. One taken.

SIX! Thank You says Pant! Short in length, and around off, sets up nicely for the batter. Rishabh Pant reads the length well and readies himself for a pull shot creating a strong base before hoisting it over deep square leg for a biggie.

Angles it closer to the body on the middle, Rishabh Pant is taken off-guard and but manages to punch it to the leg side.

WIDE! Sprays it down the leg side on a fuller length, Rishabh Pant goes for a no-look flick shot behind square but misses. Wide given.

Oh, no! Rishabh Pant has copped it on the elbow! Angling in, on a length, on middle and leg, Rishabh Pant looks to scoop it away behind square on the leg side. The ball shoots off the deck and hits him on the left elbow.

In the air....but it lands safely! Adair bangs it on a shortish length, on off, Rohit Sharma tries to take on the short ball and goes for the pull. Skies it high in the air but it drops in no man's land near the deep mid-wicket region. A couple of more runs taken.

FOUR! A gift for Rohit Sharma to get to his FIFTY and the Indian skipper obliges! It has not been the most convincing knocks but Rohit will take it, considering he did not have a great run in the Indian T20 League. Mark Adair misses his mark and serves up a juicy full toss, on middle, Rohit Sharma waits on it and smacks it through the vacant mid-wicket region for a boundary.

Goes full and straight from over the wicket, on middle, Rohit Sharma shimmies across a bit and clips it through mid-wicket for two runs more.

Aerial but safe! Length delivery, on off, Rohit Sharma stays deep in his crease and lofts it over mid off. Does not get hold of it it but it is enough to clear the back-tracking fielder for a couple of runs.

Slower and fuller, attacking the stumps, Rishabh Pant swings through the line to drill it back past the bowler. Mistimes the shot to the right of long on for a single.

Much better from Adair as this is on a shortish length, over off and middle, Rishabh Pant thinks about playing the upper-cut but decides against it and lets it go.

WIDE! Adair comes in from around the wicket and rolls his fingers over the ball but gets the line wrong. Slips it down leg for a wide.

At pace, on a hard length, on off, Rohit Sharma gets on his toes and stabs it down safely on the off side.

Good comeback! Takes pace off and it is much fuller as well, outside the leg-stump line, Rohit Sharma backs away to go across the line but gets undone by the lack of pace.

SIX! Much finer but the result is the same! Back-to-back maximums for the Indian skipper! Short again but it is on a tighter line, at the batter, Rohit Sharma swivels in his crease and pulls it flat but over fine leg for six more runs.

SIX! BOOM! Rohit Sharma connects this one alright! Joshua Little delivers it on a shortish length, right where Rohit needs it, around off. Rohit Sharma is waiting for it on the back foot and nails the pull over deep square leg for a maximum.

Oh, that took off and it has been taken at point! It looks to have come off the shoulder of Rohit Sharma but Paul Stirling has taken the review. Angling away from over the wicket, on a hard length, just outside off, Rohit Sharma walks across to the off side and tries to scoop it behind square on the leg side. The ball comes off his left shoulder and lobs to point. The UltraEdge confirms that it was just the shoulder and nothing else.

Serves it on a hard length, on off, Rohit Sharma plays it close to his body and dabs it square to point.

Into the wicket, around off, Rishabh Pant flat bats it without much timing to mid off.

FOUR! Not quite off the middle of the bat but Rishabh Pant will take it! Lands it on a back of a length, outside off, Rishabh Pant frees his arms and slaps it back over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Goes straight up but luckily for Pant, it lands in no man's land! This is on a back of a length, angled across, on off, Rishabh Pant crouches and tries to swipe it across the line. Gets it off the upper half of the bat but it lands safely near the fine leg fence. Two runs taken.

Too straight from McCarthy, on a shortish length, around leg, Rohit Sharma rides the bounce and plays a controlled pull shot to fine leg for one.

Bangs it into the deck, outside off, Rishabh Pant drags the pull from outside off. Does not quite get the timing right and has ot settle for a single as the ball rolls to deep mid-wicket.

Strays on the pads, on a back of a length, Rohit Sharma hops back to work it away square on the leg side. Gets an inside edge onto the pads and the bal dies down on the leg side. They cross.

A hint of width by Campher on off, Rishabh Pant frees his arms and cuts it over backward point where Joshua Little runs and slides to his left to cut it off. Two runs taken.

Much closer to the off-stump line, on a back of a length, Rishabh Pant tries to get on top of the bounce but the ball goes away with the angle and whizzes past his bat.

At the hips, on a hard length, Rohit Sharma waits back in his crease and glances it down to fine leg for a single.

Angling in, on a good length, around leg, Rohit Sharma stays leg side of the ball and skips down the track to have a hoick across the line. The ball nips away slightly after pitching and gets beaten all ends up.

There's that extra bounce! Hits the deck hard and bowls it in the channel on off, Rohit Sharma gets half-forward as he tries to cover the line of the ball. It rears off the deck and zips past the bat.

Starts with a full delivery from over the wicket, outside off, Rishabh Pant wrists it along the ground to wide long on for one.

Beaten! This is on a back of a length, angling across, on off, Rohit Sharma pokes at the delivery as he gets on his toes and gets beaten on the outside edge. At the end of the Powerplay, India are 39/1.

FOUR! Beautifully played! Offers width this time does Little and goes full as well, Rohit Sharma leans on it and carves it up and over cover-point for a boundary. Rohit brings up 4000 runs in T20I cricket.

Sliding onto the pads, on a length, Rishabh Pant lets the ball come to him and turns it through square leg. Pant is keen for the second but the fielder in the deep is quick to get to the ball and keeps it down to one.

Fuller again and slanting away, around off, Rohit Sharma leans on it to go up and over on the off side. The bat turns in his hand and Rohit miscues it to mid-wicket for one.

Angles it across the right-hander, just inside the tramline on off, on a good length, Rohit Sharma lets it go.

Pitches it right up from over the wicket, angling away, around off, Rohit Sharma crouches and looks to go back over the bowler's head with a straight bat but gets beaten on the angle.

Swing and a miss! Around the stumps, on a hard length outside off, Rishabh Pant swings hard to get it over the covers but only manages to meet thin air.

WIDE! Angling down leg, on a fuller length, Rishabh Pant looks to hoist it over short fine but misses. WIde given.

Stays over the wicket, pitches it outside off, and full in length, Rishabh Pant goes for a biggie but mishits it off the inside half towards mid-wicket.

Aims the off stump, on a good length, Rishabh Pant watches it closely and cuts it straight to point off the back foot.

Over the wicket now to Rohit, bowls straight and full, on off, Rohit Sharma defends it with soft hands on the front foot and the ball takes off the thickish outside edge to deep third for another single.

Around the wicket, angling on the middle and leg, full in length, Rishabh Pant pushes it to mid on and robs a quick single.

Attacks the off stump, shaping away a bit on a length, Rohit Sharma plays it inside the line and the ball takes the outside edge towards deep third for a single.

Bangs it on a length, outside off, Rishabh Pant goes for a wild hoick over the leg side but misses.

That could've been curtains for Rohit! Short in length, on the top of off, Rohit Sharma pulls it aerially a bit straight towards mid on who picks it up on a bounce. Rohit Sharma sets off to fetch a quick single and is nowhere in the frame as Mark Adair has a shy at the non-striker's end.

Oh, this one takes off from the surface. Good length, with an extra bit of bounce, just outside off, Rohit Sharma is taken by surprise and negotiates the bounce well, knocking it to the off side.

Full and on the fourth stump line, Rishabh Pant gets in line of the ball on the front foot and drives it through covers for a single.

Nips back into the batter from outside off on a length, Rohit Sharma plays it closer to the body, and arches slightly, and cuts it towards deep backward point for a single.

Good length, shaping away a shade from outside off, Rohit Sharma watches it closely and is happy to let it go alone.

FOUR! WHAT A CRACKING SHOT! Lands this one right underneath the bat, a friendly half-volley to be precise, on off, Rishabh Pant picks the bones out of it and spanks it down the ground over the non-striker's head for a cracking boundary to end the over.

Around the wicket, a yorker on off, Rishabh Pant alertly jams the bat in time.

OUT! TAKEN! Virat Kohli departs trying to find the aggressive route and India lose the first wicket! Mark Adair lands this one on a good length, nipping away with the angle outside off, Virat Kohli again gets the dancing shoes on and charges ahead for an expansive drive through the covers but the ball climbs a bit more on the bounce and takes the thickish outside edge of the bat before flying into the safe hands of Ben White stationed at deep third who doesn't have to move an inch.

Peach! Bowls it on the length, just on the top of off, Virat Kohli looks to defend but gets beaten on the inside edge.

Full and on off, Virat Kohli plants his front foot in line and knocks it solidly towards mid off.

Swing and a miss! Pitches it on off, and on a good length, it nips away dramatically. Virat Kohli charges down the ground aggressively to play an expansive cover drive and gets beaten on the outside edge.

SIX! This time he connects and connects well! A friendly knee-length full toss, tailing back in on the pads, Rohit Sharma gets underneath it and flatly slaps it downtown for a biggie.

FOUR! Fortunate enough there! Joshua Little slants a yorker outside off, Rohit Sharma bends low to squeeze it through point but inside edges just past the stumps for a boundary at deep fine leg.

WIDE! Struggling with his mark at the moment! Swings it away from leg side, on the fuller length, Rohit Sharma swings across and misses. Wided again.

Nice and full, on the stumps, Rohit Sharma jams his bat and plays it off the inside half of the bat, and onto the boots. The ball deflects to the off side.

Swings it onto the pads, on a length, Rohit Sharma misses his flick and the ball brushes off the front thigh pad to the left of the keeper.

Fuller in length, angling into the batter from middle, Rohit Sharma flicks it nicely towards deep backward square leg for a couple of more runs.

WIDE! Sprays it down the leg stump line. Rohit misses to flick and the umpire gives a Wide.

Length ball, outside off, Virat Kohli shuffles across off, gets in line of the ball and drives it through point for a single and gets off the mark.

DROPPED AND FOUR! Ireland just cannot afford these errors in the field! Holds onto the hard length, outside off, again, nipping away with the angle, Rohit Sharma goes for an expansive drive towards the off side but gets a thickish outside edge that goes straight towards the second slip where the fielder makes a meal out of it and the ball bursts through his hands over his head before running to the fence.

Short in length, and outside off, nips a shade away as well. Rohit Sharma chops it over the leg stump to short fine.

Bowls it full and on the stumps, Rohit Sharma flicks it with his wrists and works it along the carpet towards deep mid-wicket for a couple to get off the mark.

Wild movement! Pitches it on the middle, and jags back in off the surface, on a length, Rohit Sharma comes forward and gets beaten on the shot as it sneaks past the inside edge.

Fuller this time, and closer to the body in front of the stumps. Rohit Sharma presents the full face of the bat and knocks it back to the bowler.

Short in length, outside off, Rohit Sharma climbs on the bounce and cuts it straight to point.

WIDE! Movement straight away. On the back of a length, outside off, it nips away sharply after pitching and goes beyond the guideline, Rohit Sharma goes for an on the up cut shot but misses. Wided.