Bengaluru, March 6: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed satisfaction at the five-wicket win over Ireland but credited the visitors for making the run chase interesting with some brilliant ground fielding.

Dhoni said that the match against Ireland was one of those matches where the importance of having a No. 7 batsman comes to the fore.

Excerpts from an interview:

On the successful chase

Well the workout was needed. Frankly speaking the scoreboard said 208 odd runs but it was close to 240 runs as the Ireland team fielded really well. I think their bowlers were very well supported by their fielders.

On the Bengaluru wicket

It was different to the last one we played. I think it got slower as the game progressed. I think they [Ireland] bowled according to the field. I think their captain [William Porterfield] will also complain that they bowled slightly short but still I would say that they were bowling according to their field rather than the situation.

On the positives out of the win

I think the most important thing is that everyone got a chance to bat. If you are batting under pressure as when you are playing the Ireland side and you are chasing then you are under more pressure. I think it was very good exposure for all the batsmen. Often the No. 7 batsman has been talked about as to how important he is. So these are the games where you feel that it is good to have a No. 7 batsman and part-timers [bowlers] to fill in.

On the improved bowling and fielding performance

We are showing signs of improvement. I think it is important to peak at the right time. It is a long tournament and it is important to improve as we go on in the bowling department. Fielding, you know it will be the same – the exceptional fielders can get better but our slower fielders will remain the same.