Rashid five-for pushes Ireland on the back foot

Rashid Khan, the star leg-spinner, took five wickets as Ireland slipped to 170 for 7 in response to Afghanistan's 558 for 8 delcared by close of play on the second day of their crucial ICC Intercontinental Cup clash in Greater Noida on Wednesday (March 29).

Mohammad Nabi made the initial breakthrough and, following a strong 117-run stand between Ed Joyce and Andy Balbirnie, Rashid effected a dramatic collapse.

Balbirnie looked confident at the crease during his knock of 62 and received solid support from Joyce, who scored 45. But it was a downward slide for Ireland thereafter, and it could have been much worse had Afghanistan not conceded as many as 26 byes. Afsar Zazai, the deisgnated wicketkeeper, let go 14 byes before being replaced by Mohammad Shahzad, but Shahzad, too, ended up conceding 12 byes.

Afghanistan, resuming on 357 for 6, extended Ireland's toil by a session and a half before finally declaring.

Zazai became the second centurion of Afghanistan's innings after Asghar Stanikzai's 145, scoring an unbeaten 103, and Afghanistan closed the innings immediately after he reached the landmark.

Stanikzai, who resumed on 110, added 35 to his kitty and took his side comfortably past the 400-run mark before George Dockrell, the left-arm spinner, sent him back stumped by Niall O’Brien. Stanikzai faced 209 balls and hit nine fours and seven sixes. Zazai, overnight on seven, took charge from there and played a stroke-filled 154-ball innings, which included eight fours and four sixes.

Dawlat Zadran, the fast bowler, chipped in with 32 not out in an unbroken 91-run stand for the ninth wicket, as Afghanistan took its number of fours to 51 and sixes to 17.

Dockrell laboured 45 overs for his three wickets at the expense of 160 runs, while Andy McBrine and John Anderson, the off-spinners, chipped in with two wickets apiece.

Faced with major scoreboard pressure in a match that could decide which of the two sides get a shot at Test cricket, Ireland suffered an early setback when William Porterfield, the skipper, was dismissed for four by Nabi in the third over of the innings.

Balbirnie and Joyce took over after that – when on 40, Balbirnie survived a few nervy moments when Zadran got his edge to go to second slip and Nabi made a tumbling attempt to take a catch and claimed it. The umpires consulted and ruled it not out after video replays made it clear that he had grassed it.

Balbirnie added 22 runs after that before Zahir Khan, the left-arm wrist-spinner, had him caught at short leg. Rashid then had Joyce trapped in front the next over, and suddenly Ireland slipped from 123 for 1 to 127 for 3 with two new batsmen at the crease. It didn’t stop there, as Rashid sent back Gary Wilson, O’Brien, Dockrell and Paul Stirling, batting at No. 8, to leave Ireland in a mess.

O’Brien’s 17 was the best individual score after the Balbirnie-Joyce stand, and Ireland will resume on the third day with Anderson, unbeaten on 10, and McBrine, who was yet to get off the mark when play ended for the day.