AGF VS IRE Test: Ireland beat Afghanistan to register first-ever Test win

NEW DELHI: Ireland beat Afghanistan by six wickets to script history as it registered its first-ever win in Test cricket, ending its spell of seven consecutive losses, at the Tolerance Oval on Friday. Ireland’s captain Andrew Balbirnie led his side from the front, scoring an unbeaten 58 to seal the fate of the match well within three days. The side played its first Test in 2018 when it lost to Pakistan and had previously lost to Afghanistan in their second Test, five years ago, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, India.

Starting the third day at 134 for three, Afghanistan was helped to a score of 218 with a half-century from skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (55 off 107b, 5x4) and Test debutant Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 85-ball 46 (4x4, 2x6).

Mark Adair, who took his career-best figures of five for 39 in the first innings, continued to pester the Afghan batters, taking three wickets for 56 runs, including that of Shahidi.

Though Ireland, chasing a target of 111, stumbled initially, with Peter Moor and Curtis Campher, returning for noughts, Balbirnie held fort, helping Ireland to a victory in the last session of the third day. Agencies

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