Dominant Afghanistan eye clean sweep
Overview
**Afghanistan v Ireland, 3rd T20I**Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, Greater Noida
Tuesday, 10 March; 02:00pm local, 08:30am GMT
Afghanistan have once again demonstrated their superiority in Asian conditions, and they have done so as a collective unit. Their batting has won them matches, but their top scorer only has 63 runs from two matches. Mujeeb ur Rahman has been unusually expensive, but he has made up for it with wickets, while Rashid Khan has been economical and incisive, helping his team stay on top of their opponents.
The top three run-scorers of the series are all Irishmen, but their success has not translated to a win for the team. Despite the strong performances of the batsmen, Ireland’s bowlers have not been able to contain Afghanistan, and it has resulted in their batsmen having to chase down tall totals and their bowlers not being able to defend big ones. A more well-rounded performance will help them put up a better challenge and push the home team.
Afghanistan secure second win to win IBA Cup 2020
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 8, 2020
Afghanistan take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in Islamic Bank of Afghanistan Cup 2020 as they beat @Irelandcricket by 21 runs in the second match of the series at the Greater Noida Ground, India.
More:https://t.co/Vwyq3AUQ3J pic.twitter.com/h6l6n8XNhc
What happened last time
Solid contributions from all around the batting order, led by the captain Asghar Afghan’s 28-ball 49, lifted Afghanistan to 184/4. Ireland were restricted to 163, thanks to Mujeeb’s top-order wickets and some economical bowling from Rashid and co.
What they said
Asghar Afghan, Afghanistan captain: “Happy to win the series. We focused on some strike rotation before going for quick runs. We know our strength, we bat long and can target the death overs. We want to stay positive because every game is important.”
Afghanistan take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in Islamic Bank of Afghanistan Cup 2020 beating @Irelandcricket by 21 runs in the second match of the series at the Greater Noida Ground, India.#AFGvIRE #IBACup2020 pic.twitter.com/euBFAZG1BH
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 8, 2020
Andy Balbirnie, Ireland captain: “We started pretty well, but you have to good for the whole 20 overs. We tend to start well in the T20Is but need some balance in the middle order. The series is now gone, but it's a big year and we need to focus on the third game.”
Conditions
There should be hazy sunshine through the day. Noida has shown a penchant for big scores, so teams are well-placed to reap the benefits of making optimum utilisation of the conditions.
