NEW DELHI:
Afghanistan
emerged victorious in the first one-day international (ODI) with a 35-run win over
Ireland
in
Sharjah
on Thursday.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
displayed his exceptional batting skills by scoring his sixth ODI century, contributing significantly to his team's victory.
Batting first, Afghanistan set a formidable total of 310/5 in their 50 overs.
Ibrahim Zadran provided a solid start with a score of 60 in a remarkable opening partnership of 150 runs with Gurbaz, who went on to make 121.
Ireland faced an early setback, losing three wickets with just 34 runs on the board. However, Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker displayed great resilience and added a remarkable 173 runs for the fourth wicket.
Tector impressed with a score of 138, marking his fifth ODI hundred. Unfortunately, as wickets fell at the other end, Ireland could only manage a total of 275/8.
The spotlight, however, belonged to the talented 22-year-old Gurbaz. This was not his first ODI century against Ireland, as he had achieved the feat on his debut in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
Gurbaz wasted no time settling in, smashing eight fours and six sixes in his innings of 117 balls. Only
Sachin Tendulkar
,
Virat Kohli
, and Quentin de Kock have scored more ODI hundreds before the age of 23 than Gurbaz.
In the final 10 overs, Mohammad Nabi added quick runs with a knock of 40 from 27 balls, while skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi remained unbeaten with a well-made 50 off 33 balls. As a result, Afghanistan reached a formidable total.
The Irish bowlers fought back, with Theo van Woerkom being the standout performer, taking 3-55 in his 10 overs. He dismissed both openers, including a beautiful arm ball that accounted for Gurbaz.
Ireland's chase started poorly as captain Paul Stirling fell early, nicking a delivery from
Azmatullah Omarzai
to the wicketkeeper. Andy Balbirnie and Curtis Campher also fell victim to Fazalhaq Farooqi's bowling, leaving Ireland struggling at 34-3.
However, Tector and Tucker came together and provided hope for Ireland. Tector played outstanding shots, finding gaps in the field and neutralizing the spinners. Although he was dropped on 79, he continued to dominate and reached his century off 117 balls. Despite cramps and losing partners at the other end, he reached a remarkable 138 before falling in the final over.
Tucker also played well, reaching his half-century with a massive six off Noor Ahmed that landed outside the ground. His innings of 85 off 76 balls came to an end when he edged a delivery to give Farooqi his third wicket. Farooqi finished with figures of 4-51, while debutant Allah Ghazanfar bowled impressively, conceding only 34 runs in his six overs.
Apart from Tector and Tucker, no other Irish batsman managed to reach double figures, resulting in a collapse of the innings.
The match sets the stage for the second game of the three-match series, which will take place on Saturday. Both teams will also participate in three T20Is as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup in the West Indies and USA, starting in June.
In their previous encounter, Ireland emerged victorious in the one-off Test, marking their first-ever win in the longest format of the game.
(With inputs from AFP)
English (US) ·