PHOTOS: Openers, spinners steer India to big win in first Ireland T20

Images from the first T20 International between Ireland and India.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan smashed quickfire half-centuries as a dominant India outclassed Ireland by a whopping 76 runs in the opening T20 International, in Dublin, on Wednesday.

Dubbed as dress rehearsal for the marquee England series, the formidable Indian team outbatted the opposition scoring an imposing 208 for five in their 20 overs, courtesy of Rohit's quickfire 97 off 61 balls and Dhawan's blazing innings of 74 off 45 balls.

In reply, Ireland could only manage 132 for nine in their 20 overs as they were completely undone by the Indian spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who picked up seven wickets between them.

Opener James Shannon was the lone positive for the hosts with the bat, hitting a sparkling 60 from 35 balls.

Irish batsmen didn't have a clue how to play chinaman spinner Kuldeep, who claimed career-best figures of four for 21, while Chahal bagged three for 38, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed two for 19.

Spin twins Kuldeep and Chahal ran through the top and middle-order and except Shannon, none of the other home team batsman scored above 15.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma missed out on a well-deserved third T20 International century as India made a mockery of an inexperienced Ireland bowling attack and scored a commendable 208 for five.

• Scorecard

Put in to bat, Rohit (97 off 61 balls) made amends for his poor showing in the IPL, scoring a breathtaking 97 off 61 balls in the company of the in-form Shikhar Dhawan, who smashed 74 off 45 balls.

The opening pair put on 160 in 16 overs to lay the foundation. However India lost three wickets in the final over, preventing them from scoring in excess of 225, which looked likely on a placid track.

Young right-arm medium pacer Peter Chase finished with career-best figures of 4 for 35 after a memorable 20th over in which he accounted for Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11), Rohit and skipper Virat Kohli (0).

Rohit went for a wild slog and was bowled, thereby missing out his hundred by a whisker. His innings had eight fours and five sixes while Dhawan had five boundaries and an equal number of maximums.

India reached 50 in the fifth over. When the team’s total was 61, Rohit-Dhawan completed 1000 runs in the form of their partnership in T20 Internationals. 

India's 100 came up in the 11th over and neither batsman had offered a chance to the bowlers till then.

Dhawan reached his seventh T20 half-century off 27 balls, while Rohit's 15th T20 half-century came off 39 balls.

Such was their dominance on the Irish bowling that there were only a couple mis-hits until then.

Ireland did have their opportunities. There was miscommunication while running between the wickets and they even managed a direct hit but did not get a favourable decision.

Stuart Thompson had a nightmarish time on the field. First, he dropped Rohit at long off in the 15th over off George Dockrell (0-40) and then let go another one at long on in the next off Kevin O'Brien (1-36).

Finally, he managed to latch onto a chance off Dhawan in that same over.