Porterfield expects no India favours for Ireland

Ireland captain William Porterfield believes there will be no let-up from India when his side go in search of another win over a Test nation at this World Cup.

Defending champions India have already qualified for the quarter-finals while Ireland's thrilling five-run win over Zimbabwe on Saturday left them among several sides vying for one of the three remaining last eight places in Pool B.

Ireland, who started this tournament with a win over the West Indies, next face India in Hamilton on Tuesday.

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"No, I don't think their guard will ever be down," said Porterfield of India. "They're a squad of 15, so whatever they decide to do, they decide to do.

"It's a long tournament, and they're not going to look to lose any momentum from their point of view.

"Whatever they decide to do is out of our control. Whoever they decide to play, it doesn't really bother me. We've just got to keep all the momentum going and keep on improving at the little things we want to and keep taking things forward"

Ireland, the leading Associate or non-Test nation, have now beaten at least one member of the elite at three successive World Cups.

But defeating three in the pool phase would be a real feather in their cap and add further weight to Irish efforts to be granted Test status themselves.

Asked if he always thought that was what it would take to reach the quarter-finals, Porterfield replied: "It's very hard to say when you come in at the start of such a long tournament, what you will need, what you won't need, whatever.

"We just tried to break it down really and take each game as it comes, and whatever we need coming down to the last game, we need, but as I said, we just take this India game now and that's all we can look forward to.

"We've managed to deal with the West Indies game and the UAE game and not look past them, and there's so many things that can happen in all our games and so many things have happened."

Ireland's latest World Cup victory was a tense affair at Hobart's Bellerive Oval.

They made 331 for eight on the back of Ed Joyce's 112 and Andrew Balbirnie's 97 before reducing Zimbabwe to 74 for four.

But from a dire position, Zimbabwe stand-in captain Brendan Taylor's superb 121 and his fifth-wicket stand of 149 with Sean Williams (96) brought the Test side back into the match.

However, a see-saw match turned back Ireland's way when Williams was given out caught right on the boundary by John Mooney.

There was a suggestion that Mooney may have touched the rope in completing the catch, which would have been a six to Zimbabwe.

But while the umpires' review was in progress, Williams walked off the field, effectively making the decision for the officials.

Big-hitting from tailender Tawanda Mupawira got the target down to seven off the last six balls with two wickets standing.

However, seamer Alex Cusack struck twice in the last over as Ireland won with three balls to spare.

"I thought it was a fantastic catch," said Porterfield of Mooney's effort. "It showed great skill under pressure. It was close to the line. I haven't actually seen it since we've come off.

"We saw a couple replays on the big screen, which is obviously pretty inconclusive from there. But it's very difficult to tell when you're a fielder on the rope and especially under pressure and the way he took the catch was a great skill."

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