Ireland vs India: 5 talking points as India beat hosts by 76 runs

India began their tour of the United Kingdom in perhaps the most dominating fashion as they smashed Ireland by a whopping margin of 76 runs.

Ireland won the toss and then nothing bright happened for them in the entire match. Gary Wilson invited the hosts to bat and bat they did. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan stitched together a mammoth partnership of 160 for the first wicket to knock the stuffing out of the bowling attack.

Finishing touches were applied by Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Rohit himself who was dismissed in the final over for 97.

Ireland were always up against it as they were chasing down the title of 209, but barring James Shannon, no one did anything of note as they were bundled out for a paltry 132 runs for the loss of nine wickets.

Shannon was the lone warrior as he belted 60 runs in 35 balls and looked a man in charge of all the action around him. However, he too tripped against the wrist-spin as Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal wreaked havoc by picking up seven wickets between them.

The hosts will have to strategize better in the second game as the Indian team looks well settled and the players are well aware of their roles.

#5 Day of fielding howlers

With so much emphasis put on fitness, fielding and everything in between, it is amazing how many catches are put down these days.

Malahide was no different, it was a clear day, not a cloud in the sky, bare blue skies, and the fielders shelled more chances than they caught.

It all began with the hosts being especially kind to the Indians as they grassed as many as three chances, and they were all pretty regular ones at the International level.

When Shikhar Dhawan was eventually caught by Thompson, perhaps it was a cumulative sigh of relief which resonated all over the ground.

India were no better. Jasprit Bumrah bowled an off cutter, James Shannon went for the slog, miscued it, the ball went miles up in the air, Rohit Sharma settled down under it and then did not even get his fingertips to the ball.

Not a good day to field!

#4 MS Dhoni continues his IPL hitting form

MS muscled it

MS Dhoni was at his imperious best in the just-concluded Indian Premier League when he batted with a free spirit and wound the clock back.

He was in a similar sort of mood against the Irish attack which had been pummeled by Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Suresh Raina.

The former keeper walked out, faced five balls, smacked one six, one boundary and when he got out trying to clear the longest part of the field at deep mid-wicket, he had belted 11 runs in five balls and looked good for plenty more.

This was short, but an innings which should give the Indian team plenty of confidence heading into the England tour.

#3 Lack of experience haunts the Ireland bowling attack

The bowling was not up to the mark

Boyd Rankin bowled the first over, went for only a single, but it was all downhill for the hosts.

They erred in line and length and were never consistent with their fields and the Indian openers had an absolute party out in the centre.

Perhaps, the lack of experience at the highest stage against the Indians got to them as they were never able to string a number of dot balls together to create pressure and prize out wickets.

The variations came to the fore, but it was never convincing and the Indian batsmen, fresh out of their IPL exploits, did not have to break a sweat to swat it away.

All part of the learning experience!

#2 The wrist-spinners were at it again

The Spin Twins continued to hunt in pair

India dominated South Africa and the main suspects for the same was the performance of the two wrist-spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal who tied the Proteas in knots.

It was not very different in Malahide. After a robust start, Kohli introduced Chahal and he had an immediate splash.

In the third ball of the sixth over, he flighted the ball, asked the batsman to dance down the track, Andy Balbarine came running down the track, missed the ball as it spun past him and Dhoni did the rest behind the stumps.

Kuldeep Yadav then came in and his accent was all too slippery for the hosts who had no clue where the ball was spinning. He worked over Simi Singh and then accounted for a boisterous James Shannon.

To add cherry to his own cake, he then took out Shane Thompson and Stuart Poynter to finish with four wickets in his quota of overs.

Chahal was expensive but he returned to pick up the wicket of Kevin O'Brien and effectively ended the chase for the hosts. However, captain Gary Wilson decided to race down the track the very next ball, missed the turning ball and Dhoni did what he does in his sleep.

#1 Rohit, Dhawan, annihilation

The openers made merry against a poor Irish bowling attack

Shikhar Dhawan is in the midst of an extended purple patch, Rohit Sharma struggled in the IPL, they walked out together, saw off the first over and then got going.

Dhawan took the lead, Rohit trundled along, Dhawan smacked the bowlers, Rohit was rotating the strike, Dhawan bulldozed, Rohit erupted.

The partnership just flew along, helped by some mediocre bowling, dotted by some amazing stroke-making, and then Ireland dropped catches.

Dhawan ended with 74 off 45 runs, Rohit ended on 97, the partnership was worth 160.

Music for Virat Kohli as sterner challenges await the side.