4th ODI: Confident Afghanistan eye series-sealing triumph over Ireland
What's the story
Afghanistan's hard-fought three-wicket victory in the third ODI against Ireland has secured their spot in next year's World Cup. The win guarantees Afghanistan as the eighth and final team to qualify directly for the tournament. Now, with a 2-0 lead in the five-match series and two games remaining, they will look to seal a series victory. The fourth ODI will take place at Belfast's Civil Service Cricket Club on Wednesday. Here is the match preview.
Details
Pitch report and other details
With the Belfast ground being asymmetrical, batters can struggle to hit aerially square of the wicket, bringing boundary fielders into play.
As seen in the second game, spinners can get significant assistance in the middle overs.
If it rains ahead of the game, which is expected, there could be early moisture to assist fast bowlers.
Meanwhile, the game will get underway at 3:15pm IST.
Match highlights
How did the 3rd ODI pan out?
Rashid Khan's all-round performance was instrumental in Afghanistan's victory.
He took three wickets for 44 runs and scored a crucial 37 off 43 balls from the No. 8 position.
However, apart from him, only Rahmanullah Gurbaz (71) managed to score more than 30 runs in the match.
Despite a middle-order collapse, Afghanistan managed to chase down the 207-run target with three wickets and 31 balls remaining.
Team status
Ireland's route to World Cup remains challenging
Ireland's World Cup qualification fate was sealed after the first ODI of this series was washed out.
They will have to take a longer route through the Qualifier to qualify for the tournament.
In their recent match, they struggled against Afghanistan's spinners, losing six wickets for just 73 runs.
As they head back to Belfast, Ireland will be hoping for a better performance against Rashid and Allah Ghazanfar to stay competitive in the series.
Information
H2H record between the two teams
Ireland and Afghanistan have clashed 34 times in ODIs, as per Cricinfo. Afghanistan have claimed 20 wins compared to Ireland's 13. Notably, one match didn't have a result. At home, Ireland have five wins and seven losses against the Afghan team.
Squad updates
A look at the probable playing XIs
Ireland probable XI: Paul Stirling (c), Andrew Balbirnie, Cade Carmichael, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Benjamin Calitz, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Jai Moondra, Byron McDonough.
Afghanistan probable XI: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah (c), Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Player spotlight
A look at the standout performers
Gavin Hoey, Ireland's loopy legspinner, impressed in the third ODI with his smart bowling.
He took four wickets and brought Ireland back into contention.
Afghanistan's 20-year-old mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who claimed a three-wicket haul in the third ODI, has also been making waves since his debut two years ago.
As per Cricinfo, Rashid has raced to 64 ODI scalps against Ireland at a jaw-dropping average of 15.89.
Having taken just 51 innings, Harry Tector recently became the fastest batter to complete 2,000 ODI runs in Irish colors.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was majestic with a 71-run knock in the second game.
Poll
