IRE vs AFG Test match | Ireland claims maiden Test victory

The two teams will now play three one-day internationals and three T20 games as part of their multi-format series.

Published - March 01, 2024 06:48 pm IST - Abu Dhabi

Ireland cricket team with the trophy after defeating Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on March, 1, 2024. Photo: X/@cricketireland

Ireland cricket team with the trophy after defeating Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on March, 1, 2024. Photo: X/@cricketireland

Ireland finally won their first Test match on March 1 when they defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in Abu Dhabi, ending a streak of seven successive losses.

Captain Andy Balbirnie led from the front with an undefeated 58 as Ireland reached their modest target of 111 in the final session of the third day.

Ireland had played their first Test back in 2018 when they were defeated by Pakistan.

Afghanistan resumed their second innings Friday on 134-3 before they were dismissed for 218.

Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi top scored with 55 while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, making his Test debut, hit 46.

Mark Adair picked up three wickets to finish with eight for the match. Craig Young and Barry McCarthy also claimed three apiece.

Gurbaz, better known for his flamboyant and explosive shot-making in limited overs cricket, clubbed the only two sixes of the innings.

Chasing just 111 for victory, Ireland slumped to 13-3 with 18-year-old fast bowler Naveed Zadran clean-bowling opener Peter Moor and Curtis Campher, both without scoring.

Balbirnie denied the teenager a hat-trick but Harry Tector was soon caught behind by Gurbaz off Nijat Masood for two.

Balbirnie and Paul Stirling, who both played in Ireland’s debut Test in 2018, briefly steadied dressing room nerves.

Stirling was then caught in the slips off left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman for 14 as Ireland slipped to 39-4 just after tea.

However, Balbirnie moved watchfully to his fourth Test half-century, which came from 86 balls, ably supported by Lorcan Tucker (27 not out) in a crucial winning partnership of 72.

The two teams will now play three one-day internationals and three T20 games as part of their multi-format series.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.