India took apart a diligent but limited Ireland attack to sweep to an untroubled eight-wicket victory at Seddon Park on Tuesday which confirmed they will top Pool B in the cricket World Cup. After dismissing Ireland for 249 with an over to spare when their spinners established a stranglehold on the top-order batting, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan played themselves in for a token couple of overs. They then launched a full-blooded attack, alternating flowing drives with explosive pulls while also pushing around the ball for comfortable singles. Shikhar Dhawan celebrates reaching his century as India comfortably beat Ireland at the World Cup . The Indian opener scored exactly 100 from 119 balls at Seddon Park in Hamilton . Virat Kohli is congratulated by captain MS Dhoni after steering India to an eight-wicket victory . Ireland's Stuart Thompson celebrates after bowling Rohit Sharma for 64 runs . Sharma knocks the ball away for a single during India's run chase in Hamilton . Dhawan was dropped on five when John Mooney failed to hold a fierce caught-and-bowled chance. After scoring five further runs he was dropped again off the unlucky Mooney, this time at backward point when captain William Porterfield parried a stinging cut but was unable to hang on to the rebound. Those were the only times the Irish bowlers looked like taking a wicket and the duo took the score to 174 when Sharma chopped medium pacer Stuart Thompson on to his stumps and was out for 64 from 66 balls. With the Indian supporters making a tremendous din, Dhawan took a single to complete his eighth one-day century from 84 balls with five sixes but was then caught off the following ball he faced from Thompson. Virat Kohli (44 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (33 not out) took their team to victory with 13.1 overs to spare. Porterfield elected to bat on a warm afternoon before a capacity crowd of 11,000 packed into a picturesque ground in New Zealand's fourth largest city and all seemed set fair for the Irish when the captain and Paul Stirling put on 89 for the first wicket from 15 overs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned to his spinners and Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina responded by first frustrating then dismissing the Irish batsmen who found boundaries hard to come by after the initial flurry. Stirling (42) lofted a simple catch to long-off off Ashwin's bowling and Ed Joyce was bowled for two trying to cut a ball from Raina which was too full for the shot. Dhawan hits the ball away to the boundary for four runs on his way to a century . John Mooney drops a catch off Rohit Sharma as India chased down the 260 required for victory . Ireland opener William Porterfield marks his half-century as his team posted 259 in their innings . Niall O'Brien top scored for Ireland with 75 off 85 balls . The Irish opener Porterfield drives the ball as Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni watches on . Porterfield was reduced to pushing the ball for singles and was finally caught for 67 skying the ball while trying to accelerate. Niall O'Brien was the top scorer with 75 including three sixes, one of which was helped over the boundary rope by Mohammed Shami leaping high to try to take the catch. O'Brien, swinging vigorously to the leg side, kept the scoreboard moving but wickets fell regularly at the other end, including that of the dangerous Kevin O'Brien who was caught behind for one from a thin edge off Shami. India's Umesh Yadav (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after taking the catch to dismiss Porterfield . Indian players appeal unsuccessfully for the dismissal of Ireland's Andrew Balbirnie for 24 runs . Andrew Balbirnie plays a shot during Ireland's innings, which saw them bowled out for 259 in 49 overs . Mohammed Shami celebrates after taking the wicket of Ireland's Kevin O'Brien for one run . Stuart Thompson is run out by the throw of Virat Kohli despite a despairing dive for the crease . Kevin O'Brien leaves the field after his dismissal off the bowling of Mohammed Shami . India's Ravi Ashwin celebrates with his team-mates after removing Paul Stirling for 42 runs . An Indian fan in the crowd at Seddon Park pays homage to legend Sachin Tendulkar .
India beat Ireland by eight wickets at Seddon Park in Hamilton . Ireland were dismissed for 249 with an over to spare in their innings . Niall O'Brien top scored with 75, William Porterfield hit 67 . Led by openers Shikhar Dhawan (100) and Rohit Sharma (64), India chased down the target for the loss of just two wickets . India confirmed top spot in Pool B and have 100 per cent record .