Afghanistan vs Ireland, Only Test Day 2 preview: It’s a slow wicket, the Irish need to apply themselves

Ireland are in a tight corner at the end of Day Two of the one-off Test against Afghanistan at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun. At this point they are 22/1 in the second innings and are need another 120 to make Afghanistan bat again.

However, it is a slow wicket, and if the Ireland batsmen apply themselves the way Rahmat Shah (98) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (61) did in the Afghanistan, there is no reason for them to not turn things around.

Ireland had to see off 12 overs on the second evening, but Yamin Ahmadzai got William Porterfield edging off the second ball of their innings. However, Paul Stirling (8*) and Andy Balbirnie (12*) have made sure there has been no further mishap.

Earlier, Afghanistan resumed their day on 90/2, still 82 behind Ireland’s first-innings score. Rahmat and Shahidi did not take any undue risk on a slow, turning pitch. They waited for the ball, curbed their natural instincts (especially Shahidi), and added 67 in 30 largely eventless overs before lunch.

By then Rahmat had reached fifty, off 121 balls. Shahidi, a natural strokeplayer, took 140 balls for his. The pair eventually added 130 in 51 overs. It was slow, even painstaking to watch, but Rahmat and Shahidi had laid the platform for a big score.

Just when Shahidi looked like opening up by smashing two fours off James Cameron-Dow, he tried to sweep Andy McBrine, missed a straight ball, and was LBW.

Asghar Afghan looked confident from the start, lofting McBrine over long-on for four. Ireland claimed the new ball the moment it was available, and it worked.

Rahmat went first, playing Tim Murtagh on to the stumps, just two short of what would have been the first Test hundred in Afghanistan history. Then Stuart Thompson had Mohammad Nabi caught at mid-wicket, and suddenly Afghanistan were 227/5.

Fully aware of the weak tail, Afghan lofted Murtagh into the stands over mid-wicket, but at the other end McBrine clean bowled Ikram Ali Khil. Rashid Khan batted in cavalier fashion, hitting George Dockrell for four and six off consecutive balls, but Dockrell had his revenge, trapping Rashid leg-before.

Dockrell also got Yamin Ahmadzai leg-before. Realising he was running out of partners, Afghan lofted McBrine for two sixes in three balls and Dockrell for another before edging one behind off Thomson. Thomson rounded things off by having Wafadar Momand caught at slip.

Brief scores:

Ireland 172 (Tim Murtagh 54*; Yamin Ahmadzai 3/41, Mohammad Nabi 3/36) and 22/1 (Andy Balbirnie 14; Yamin Ahmadzai 1/9) trail Afghanistan 314 (Mohammad Shahzad 40, Rahmat Shah 98, Hashmatullah Shahidi 61, Asghar Afghan 67; Stuart Thompson 3/28) by 120 runs.