Dublin | India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna shone bright on their return but Barry McCarthy's unbeaten fifty took Ireland to a competitive 139 for seven in the opening T20I of the three-match series, here on Friday.
Bumrah, who spent 11 months away from the game due to a lower-back stress fracture, picked up 2/24, while Prasidh, who also was nursing a lower-back injury, scalped 2/32.
Ravi Bishnoi (2/23) and Arshdeep Singh (1/35) also were among wickets after Bumrah opted to field.
Things looked bleak for the hosts after they were down 59/6 in the 11th over but a seventh wicket 57-run partnership between Curtis Campher (39) and McCarthy staged Ireland's recovery.
McCarthy was the stand out batter for the hosts as he reached his maiden half-century with a last-ball six off Arshdeep. His innings was laced with four boundaries and as many sixes.
Bumrah started with a four but came back to rattle the off-stump of opener Andrew Balbirnie (4).
An over-ambitious Lorcan Tucker (0) then brought out the ramp shot, only to be caught by keeper Sanju Samson as Bumrah bagged his second wicket.
After four overs, Prasidh, who made his T20I debut, was handed the ball and he ended the struggle of Harry Tector (9) with the batter giving a simple catch to Tilak varma while looking for a ramp shot.
The wily Bishnoi then bamboozled skipper Paul Stirling (11) with a googly as Ireland slumped to 27/4 in the powerplay.
The hosts continued to pay the price for poor execution as Prasidh had George Dockrell (3) caught by Rituraj Gaikwad at cover with a back-of-a-length delivery.
Campher hit a welcome boundary with a reverse sweep, while Mark Adair (16) picked up two fours to take Ireland to 50 for 5 in 9 overs.
However, Bishnoi came back to remove Adair after winning a video referrel for an LBW decision. The batter danced down the track and looked to play a slog shot only to be hit on the pads by a ball turing in from outside.
McCarthy brought up Ireland's first maximum when he deposited Bishnoi over long on in the 13th over.
Campher ramped one over short fine, while McCarthy clubbed one across the mid-wicket boundary as the two kept Ireland ticking.
When Bumrah returned, Campher send a low full toss across extra cover before smoking the India pacer for a maximum.
Prasidh was next in line as McCarthy slammed him across the point region before depositing the next on over long-on. He ended the over with another four as 15 runs came of it.
Bumrah bowled a brilliant penultimate over but Arshdeep went for 22 runs in the last with McCarthy going hammers and tongs with two sixes and a four.