Afghanistan v Ireland, 4th ODI, Greater Noida – Preview

Ireland will be looking to level the five-match One-Day International series against Afghanistan when the teams play the fourth ODI in Greater Noida on Wednesday (March 22). The European Associate enjoyed its first win on tour in the third game. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will be looking to seal a series win after failing to do so on Sunday.

Losing the T20 International series 3-0 hurt the men in green. In the ODIs, they hadn’t been able to put in a team performance to get themselves over the line. William Porterfield, the captain, and Paul Stirling, the opener, were the only ones to play consistenly, before Andy Balbirnie combined with Stirling on Sunday to give Ireland a six-wicket win.

For Afghanistan, it was a rare failure by the bowlers, the likes of Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran and Samiullah Shenwari having stood out with their tight bowling and ability to take wickets before this on tour. While Zadran picked up two wickets in the third match, Mohammad Nabi conceded 64 runs in nine overs, picking up only one wicket.

The main reason why Ireland found it easier to score runs was because its batsmen were able to deny Rashid a wicket for the first time this tour. Ten wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 4.73 indicates Rashid has been a tough bowler to negotiate.

The target of 265 was challenging for Ireland, going by the scoring rates of previous matches, but that was only possible after Gulbadin Naib, Rashid and Shafiqullah rescued their side with late fifties. A top-order collapse had Afghanistan 67 for 5 at one point, a reminder of just how crucial the power-hitting of Nabi, Shenwari, Mohammad Shahzad and Asghar Stanikzai, the captain, is. Ireland, thus, might have finally found a weakness in a side that has shown remarkable progress in international cricket over the past two years.

Ireland's bowling needs to adapt to the slow pitches of Greater Noida. The surface rarely offered assistance to the fast bowlers, but the display of Peter Chase and Tim Murtagh to rattle Afghanistan's batting showed that with some patience and application, the bowlers could earn some success and stifle Afghanistan. Stirling also showed his mettle with the ball, picking up six wickets in the second ODI.

Ireland will also want a better showing from the batting, with Stirling the only consistent performer, having scored 262 runs in three matches so far and leading the run charts. Ed Joyce has only one half-century, scored in Ireland's defeat in the second ODI. Porterfield has been able to support Stirling, but Ireland will need Joyce to fire at the top.

A win on Wednesday for Afghanistan seals its second series win on tour while Ireland will be hoping the contest carries into the fifth and final ODI at the same venue on March 24.

Teams (from):

Afghanistan: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Gulbadin Naib, Najibullah Zadran, Fareed Ahmad, Ihsanullah Janat, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Dawlat Zadran, Karim Janat, Aftab Alam.

Ireland: William Porterfield (capt), Gary Wilson (wk), Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien, Ed Joyce, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Jacob Mulder, Tim Murtagh, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Stuart Thompson, Craig Young.