Irish cricket team against Afghanistan in India in 2018–19

Irish cricket team against Afghanistan in India in 2018–19
 
  Afghanistan Ireland
Dates 21 February – 19 March 2019
Captains Asghar Afghan William Porterfield (Test & ODIs)
Paul Stirling (T20Is)
Test series
Result Afghanistan won the 1-match series 1–0
Most runs Rahmat Shah (174) Andrew Balbirnie (86)
Most wickets Rashid Khan (7) Stuart Thompson (3)
Andy McBrine (3)
James Cameron-Dow (3)
One Day International series
Results 5-match series drawn 2–2
Most runs Asghar Afghan (226) Andrew Balbirnie (215)
Most wickets Mujeeb Ur Rahman (7) George Dockrell (8)
Player of the series Andrew Balbirnie (Ire)
Twenty20 International series
Results Afghanistan won the 3-match series 3–0
Most runs Hazratullah Zazai (204) Paul Stirling (124)
Most wickets Rashid Khan (11) Boyd Rankin (6)
Player of the series Mohammad Nabi (Afg)

The Ireland cricket team toured India in February and March 2019 to play three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and a Test match against the Afghanistan cricket team.[1][2] It was Ireland's first Test played overseas[3] and the first Test match between the two sides.[4] All of the fixtures took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.[5] The ODI fixtures were part of Afghanistan's preparation for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[6] In January 2019, the fixtures were brought forward by two days, to avoid clashing with the Indian Premier League.[7]

In the second T20I match, the Afghanistan team set several records. They made the highest team total, with 278 for 3,[8] which included the highest partnership for any wicket, with Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani putting on 236 runs for the first wicket.[9] Hazratullah Zazai scored 162 not out, the highest score for an Afghan batsman in a T20I fixture.[10] Afghanistan went on to win the T20I series 3–0.[11] The ODI series was drawn 2–2, after the second match finished as a no result.[12]

Afghanistan won the one-off Test match by seven wickets to record their first victory in a Test match.[13] They became the joint-second quickest, after England and Pakistan, to record their maiden win in Test cricket.[14] Asghar Afghan, captain of the Afghanistan team said that "it is a historic day for Afghanistan, for Afghanistan people, for our team, for our cricket board".[15] Ireland's captain, William Porterfield, said he was pleased how the five debutants performed and that Afghanistan were deserved winners.[16] Afghanistan's all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, praised both the batting and the bowling from the team saying "it shows we are ready for Test cricket".[17] Player of the match, Rahmat Shah, moved up to 89th place in the ICC Test Player Rankings, the highest-placed batsman for Afghanistan.[18]

Squads

Test ODIs T20Is
 Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]  Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]  Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]

Ahead of the ODI series, Stuart Thompson was added to Ireland's squad.[21] Following the conclusion of the ODI series, Zahir Khan and Sayed Shirzad were both added to Afghanistan's Test squad.[22]

T20I series

1st T20I

21 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Ireland 
132/6 (20 overs)
v
 Afghanistan
136/5 (19.2 overs)
George Dockrell 34* (28)
Mohammad Nabi 2/16 (4 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 49* (40)
Boyd Rankin 2/39 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Mohammad Nabi (Afg)

2nd T20I

23 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
278/3 (20 overs)
v
 Ireland
194/6 (20 overs)
Hazratullah Zazai 162* (62)
Boyd Rankin 1/35 (4 overs)
Paul Stirling 91 (50)
Rashid Khan 4/25 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 84 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Durrani (Afg) and Bismillah Jan Shinwari (Afg)
Player of the match: Hazratullah Zazai (Afg)

3rd T20I

24 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
210/7 (20 overs)
v
 Ireland
178/8 (20 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 81 (36)
Boyd Rankin 3/53 (4 overs)
Kevin O'Brien 74 (47)
Rashid Khan 5/27 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 32 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Durrani (Afg) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Mohammad Nabi (Afg)

ODI series

1st ODI

28 February 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Ireland 
161 (49.2 overs)
v
 Afghanistan
165/5 (41.5 overs)
Paul Stirling 89 (150)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman 3/14 (10 overs)
Gulbadin Naib 46 (61)
Boyd Rankin 2/48 (9 overs)
Afghanistan won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Gulbadin Naib (Afg)

2nd ODI

2 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
250/7 (48.3 overs)
v
Hazratullah Zazai 67 (43)
George Dockrell 3/51 (9 overs)

3rd ODI

5 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
256/8 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
260/6 (49 overs)
Najibullah Zadran 104* (98)
Boyd Rankin 2/56 (10 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 145* (136)
Dawlat Zadran 2/52 (10 overs)
Ireland won by 4 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (Ind) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Andrew Balbirnie (Ire)

4th ODI

8 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
223 (49.1 overs)
v
 Ireland
114 (35.3 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 64 (85)
James Cameron-Dow 3/32 (10 overs)
Kevin O'Brien 26 (57)
Aftab Alam 4/25 (8 overs)
Afghanistan won by 109 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Rashid Khan (Afg)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.

5th ODI

10 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
216/6 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
219/5 (47.2 overs)
Asghar Afghan 82* (111)
George Dockrell 2/46 (10 overs)
Paul Stirling 70 (88)
Zahir Khan 2/55 (10 overs)
Ireland won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (Ind) and Bismillah Jan Shinwari (Afg)
Player of the match: Asghar Afghan (Afg)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
  • Zahir Khan (Afg) made his ODI debut.

Only Test

15–19 March 2019[n 1]
Scorecard
v
172 (60 overs)
Tim Murtagh 54* (75)
Mohammad Nabi 3/36 (14 overs)
314 (106.3 overs)
Rahmat Shah 98 (214)
Stuart Thompson 3/28 (17.3 overs)
288 (93 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 82 (149)
Rashid Khan 5/82 (34 overs)
149/3 (47.5 overs)
Rahmat Shah 76 (122)
James Cameron-Dow 1/24 (5.5 overs)
Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Richard Illingworth (Eng) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Rahmat Shah (Afg)

Notes

  1. ^ While five days of play were scheduled for the one-off Test, the match reached a result in four days.

References

  1. ^ ""Afghanistan series a major step forward for Irish cricket," says Balbirnie as tour dates confirmed". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Afghanistan-Ireland series advanced to February 21". Cricbuzz. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Ireland to play Afghanistan Test match in 2019". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "One-off Test: Afghanistan to host Ireland in Dehradun". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Ireland to face Afghanistan in first oversees Test in March". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Revised tour dates for Ireland v Afghanistan series released". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Ireland-Afghanistan tour dates adjusted to avoid clash with IPL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan hammer highest T20 total". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Afghanistan set record T20 international total as they hit 278-3 to beat Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai 162*, Afghanistan 278 - a record-breaking T20I". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Rashid's Five-for Helps Afghanistan Complete Whitewash Over Ireland". Network18 Media and Investments Ltd. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Ireland beat Afghanistan by five wickets to draw one-day international series in India". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Rahmat Shah and Isanullah see Afghanistan through to maiden test win". ESPNcricinfo. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  14. ^ "'Historic day for Afghanistan, for our people, for our team' – Asghar Afghan". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. ^ "'A historic day for Afghanistan' - Asghar Afghan". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Test - Day 4: Afghanistan hold off Ireland to secure maiden Test victory". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  17. ^ "'It shows we are ready for Test cricket' – Nabi on historic Afghanistan win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Rahmat advances 88 places after scripting Afghanistan's maiden Test win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "Mujeeb left out for Ireland Test, Shahzad out of T20Is". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  20. ^ a b c "Ireland announce squads for Afghanistan series". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Cricket Ireland monitoring India-Pakistan tensions ahead of Afghanistan ODI series". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Afghanistan add Zahir Khan and Sayed Shirzad to Test squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Nabi shines and records tumble as Afghanistan clinch T20I opener". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai cuts loose, Afghanistan demolish Ireland, T20I record books". Cricket Country. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai's night to remember". CricBuzz. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Afghanistan hit world record T20 score". SuperSport. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2nd T20I: Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani go berserk as Afghanistan smash T20I records". The Times of India. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Afghanistan smash record T20 score of 278 against Ireland". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  29. ^ "Record-breaking Zazai scripts Afghanistan victory". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  30. ^ "'We're gearing up for bigger things' – Kevin O'Brien". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  31. ^ "Rashid Khan takes four in four balls as Afghanistan win final T20 against Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  32. ^ "3rd ODI: Najibullah Zadran's unbeaten century carries Afghanistan to 256/8". Cricket Country. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  33. ^ "Ireland beat Afghanistan: Andrew Balbirnie hits 145 not out". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium To Host First Test Match Between Afghanistan And Ireland From March 15". The Times of India. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  35. ^ "Test hangs in balance despite Rashid five-for". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  36. ^ "Shah, Janat seal historic maiden Test victory for Afghanistan". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 March 2019.