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The Ireland cricket team toured India in February and March 2019 to play three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and a Test match against the Afghanistan cricket team.[1][2] It was Ireland's first Test played overseas[3] and the first Test match between the two sides.[4] All of the fixtures took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.[5] The ODI fixtures were part of Afghanistan's preparation for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[6] In January 2019, the fixtures were brought forward by two days, to avoid clashing with the Indian Premier League.[7]

In the second T20I match, the Afghanistan team set several records. They made the highest team total, with 278 for 3,[8] which included the highest partnership for any wicket, with Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani putting on 236 runs for the first wicket.[9] Hazratullah Zazai scored 162 not out, the highest score for an Afghan batsman in a T20I fixture.[10] Afghanistan went on to win the T20I series 3–0.[11] The ODI series was drawn 2–2, after the second match finished as a no result.[12]

Afghanistan won the one-off Test match by seven wickets to record their first victory in a Test match.[13] They became the joint-second quickest, after England and Pakistan, to record their maiden win in Test cricket.[14] Asghar Afghan, captain of the Afghanistan team said that "it is a historic day for Afghanistan, for Afghanistan people, for our team, for our cricket board".[15] Ireland's captain, William Porterfield, said he was pleased how the five debutants performed and that Afghanistan were deserved winners.[16] Afghanistan's all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, praised both the batting and the bowling from the team saying "it shows we are ready for Test cricket".[17] Player of the match, Rahmat Shah, moved up to 89th place in the ICC Test Player Rankings, the highest-placed batsman for Afghanistan.[18]

Squads

Test ODIs T20Is
 Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]  Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]  Afghanistan[19]  Ireland[20]

Ahead of the ODI series, Stuart Thompson was added to Ireland's squad.[21] Following the conclusion of the ODI series, Zahir Khan and Sayed Shirzad were both added to Afghanistan's Test squad.[22]

T20I series

1st T20I

21 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Ireland 
132/6 (20 overs)
v
 Afghanistan
136/5 (19.2 overs)
George Dockrell 34* (28)
Mohammad Nabi 2/16 (4 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 49* (40)
Boyd Rankin 2/39 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Mohammad Nabi (Afg)

2nd T20I

23 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
278/3 (20 overs)
v
 Ireland
194/6 (20 overs)
Hazratullah Zazai 162* (62)
Boyd Rankin 1/35 (4 overs)
Paul Stirling 91 (50)
Rashid Khan 4/25 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 84 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Durrani (Afg) and Bismillah Jan Shinwari (Afg)
Player of the match: Hazratullah Zazai (Afg)

3rd T20I

24 February 2019
18:30 (N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
210/7 (20 overs)
v
 Ireland
178/8 (20 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 81 (36)
Boyd Rankin 3/53 (4 overs)
Kevin O'Brien 74 (47)
Rashid Khan 5/27 (4 overs)
Afghanistan won by 32 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Durrani (Afg) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Mohammad Nabi (Afg)

ODI series

1st ODI

28 February 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Ireland 
161 (49.2 overs)
v
 Afghanistan
165/5 (41.5 overs)
Paul Stirling 89 (150)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman 3/14 (10 overs)
Gulbadin Naib 46 (61)
Boyd Rankin 2/48 (9 overs)
Afghanistan won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Gulbadin Naib (Afg)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to bat.
  • James McCollum (Ire) made his ODI debut.

2nd ODI

2 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
250/7 (48.3 overs)
v
Hazratullah Zazai 67 (43)
George Dockrell 3/51 (9 overs)

3rd ODI

5 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
256/8 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
260/6 (49 overs)
Najibullah Zadran 104* (98)
Boyd Rankin 2/56 (10 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 145* (136)
Dawlat Zadran 2/52 (10 overs)
Ireland won by 4 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (Ind) and Izatullah Safi (Afg)
Player of the match: Andrew Balbirnie (Ire)

4th ODI

8 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
223 (49.1 overs)
v
 Ireland
114 (35.3 overs)
Mohammad Nabi 64 (85)
James Cameron-Dow 3/32 (10 overs)
Kevin O'Brien 26 (57)
Aftab Alam 4/25 (8 overs)
Afghanistan won by 109 runs
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (Afg) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Rashid Khan (Afg)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.

5th ODI

10 March 2019
13:00 (D/N)
Scorecard
Afghanistan 
216/6 (50 overs)
v
 Ireland
219/5 (47.2 overs)
Asghar Afghan 82* (111)
George Dockrell 2/46 (10 overs)
Paul Stirling 70 (88)
Zahir Khan 2/55 (10 overs)
Ireland won by 5 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (Ind) and Bismillah Jan Shinwari (Afg)
Player of the match: Asghar Afghan (Afg)
  • Ireland won the toss and elected to field.
  • Zahir Khan (Afg) made his ODI debut.

Only Test

15–19 March 2019[n 1]
Scorecard
v
172 (60 overs)
Tim Murtagh 54* (75)
Mohammad Nabi 3/36 (14 overs)
314 (106.3 overs)
Rahmat Shah 98 (214)
Stuart Thompson 3/28 (17.3 overs)
288 (93 overs)
Andrew Balbirnie 82 (149)
Rashid Khan 5/82 (34 overs)
149/3 (47.5 overs)
Rahmat Shah 76 (122)
James Cameron-Dow 1/24 (5.5 overs)
Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Umpires: Richard Illingworth (Eng) and Sundaram Ravi (Ind)
Player of the match: Rahmat Shah (Afg)

Notes

  1. ^ While five days of play were scheduled for the one-off Test, the match reached a result in four days.

References

  1. ^ ""Afghanistan series a major step forward for Irish cricket," says Balbirnie as tour dates confirmed". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Afghanistan-Ireland series advanced to February 21". Cricbuzz. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Ireland to play Afghanistan Test match in 2019". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "One-off Test: Afghanistan to host Ireland in Dehradun". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Ireland to face Afghanistan in first oversees Test in March". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Revised tour dates for Ireland v Afghanistan series released". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Ireland-Afghanistan tour dates adjusted to avoid clash with IPL". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan hammer highest T20 total". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Afghanistan set record T20 international total as they hit 278-3 to beat Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai 162*, Afghanistan 278 - a record-breaking T20I". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Rashid's Five-for Helps Afghanistan Complete Whitewash Over Ireland". Network18 Media and Investments Ltd. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Ireland beat Afghanistan by five wickets to draw one-day international series in India". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Rahmat Shah and Isanullah see Afghanistan through to maiden test win". ESPNcricinfo. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  14. ^ "'Historic day for Afghanistan, for our people, for our team' – Asghar Afghan". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  15. ^ "'A historic day for Afghanistan' - Asghar Afghan". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Test - Day 4: Afghanistan hold off Ireland to secure maiden Test victory". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  17. ^ "'It shows we are ready for Test cricket' – Nabi on historic Afghanistan win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Rahmat advances 88 places after scripting Afghanistan's maiden Test win". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "Mujeeb left out for Ireland Test, Shahzad out of T20Is". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  20. ^ a b c "Ireland announce squads for Afghanistan series". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Cricket Ireland monitoring India-Pakistan tensions ahead of Afghanistan ODI series". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Afghanistan add Zahir Khan and Sayed Shirzad to Test squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Nabi shines and records tumble as Afghanistan clinch T20I opener". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai cuts loose, Afghanistan demolish Ireland, T20I record books". Cricket Country. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  25. ^ "Hazratullah Zazai's night to remember". CricBuzz. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  26. ^ "Afghanistan hit world record T20 score". SuperSport. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Afghanistan vs Ireland, 2nd T20I: Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Ghani go berserk as Afghanistan smash T20I records". The Times of India. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Afghanistan smash record T20 score of 278 against Ireland". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  29. ^ "Record-breaking Zazai scripts Afghanistan victory". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  30. ^ "'We're gearing up for bigger things' – Kevin O'Brien". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  31. ^ "Rashid Khan takes four in four balls as Afghanistan win final T20 against Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  32. ^ "3rd ODI: Najibullah Zadran's unbeaten century carries Afghanistan to 256/8". Cricket Country. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  33. ^ "Ireland beat Afghanistan: Andrew Balbirnie hits 145 not out". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Test hangs in balance despite Rashid five-for". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Shah, Janat seal historic maiden Test victory for Afghanistan". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 March 2019.

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