Ireland celebrated a historic victory on Friday, securing their first Test match win by defeating Afghanistan by six wickets in Abu Dhabi.
The triumph marked the end of a challenging streak of seven successive losses for the Irish team.
Captain Andy Balbirnie played a pivotal role, leading from the front with an unbeaten 58 runs. The team successfully chased down the modest target of 111 on the final session of the third day.
Balbirnie, reflecting on the achievement, expressed his excitement, stating, "We've created history. The monkey is off the back, and it's very special to do that." He acknowledged the nerves in the team, especially when they were at a precarious 13-3, emphasising the significance of the win for a squad that included several players unfamiliar with Test cricket.
Ireland's journey in Test cricket began in 2018 with a defeat against Pakistan, making this victory even more special for the team. Afghanistan, who resumed their second innings at 134-3, was eventually dismissed for 218, with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi top-scoring at 55.
Despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz's spirited debut performance of 46 runs, Mark Adair's three-wicket haul contributed to his overall tally of eight for the match, while Craig Young and Barry McCarthy also claimed three wickets each.
Facing a target of 111 for victory, Ireland encountered early trouble with three wickets down for just 13 runs. However, Balbirnie's resilient innings and a crucial partnership of 72 with Lorcan Tucker guided the team to a historic win. Balbirnie commented on the challenges faced during the match, highlighting the team's disappointment in their batting performance on the first day.
Afghanistan's Shahidi acknowledged the positive aspects of the match, particularly praising Gurbaz's debut and Naveed Zadran's commendable performance with the ball.
Irish fast bowler Adair expressed his excitement, stating, "Test cricket is pretty difficult. I think we've got a really good bowling group."
With the Test match triumph behind them, both teams will now engage in a series of three one-day internationals and three T20 games as part of their multi-format series.
