Afghanistan vs Ireland 3rd ODI Full Commentary

Welcome back for the run chase. The umpires and the players are out in the middle. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran open up for Afghanistan. Mark Adair has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Advantage Afghanistan? Their top and middle order worked in perfect sync in the second ODI. And with a modest target in front of them this time, the tourists will back their experienced batting unit to produce another dominant performance and chase it down without too many hiccups. On the other hand, it will require a united bowling effort from the Irish bowlers to restrict the Afghans. And for that, a commanding start with the new ball becomes non-negotiable, because as seen in the first innings, once the ball gets older and softer, batting indeed gets more hospitable. Afghanistan have the upper hand, whereas Ireland will be desperate to prevent the series from slipping away. Let's see how the chase unfolds.

Spin rules once again - There is no doubt that Rashid Khan is one of the most impactful bowlers in white-ball cricket, and he once again turned the screws with a spectacular three-wicket haul. Whether operating on a flat, non-turning surface or one offering the slightest assistance, his wizardry and guile remain undiminished. He backed his 6-for from the previous game with another banger of a performance, and was supported well by AM Ghazanfar in that middle over phase where Afghanistan just denied any sort of momentum to the Irish batters. Ireland’s vulnerability against spin bowling surfaced once again, with six of their ten wickets falling to the spinners. It is an area that demands serious introspection, particularly in terms of developing a clearer plan to counter quality spin. Afghanistan would have been frustrated by the stubborn ninth-wicket partnership between Moondra and Hoey, but Yamin Ahmadzai eventually brought the resistance to an end, ensuring Ireland could not stretch the recovery any further.

Patience is a virtue - Well and true in every aspect of life. At 128/8 in the 30th over, Ireland found themselves in an invidious position, staring at another difficult passage, but that is the beauty of ODI cricket, isn't it? There is always time to fight back, provided the batters are willing to show patience and the temperament to grind it out in the middle rather than just going hell for leather. Gavin Hoey dug in deep and played a measured knock, while Moondra progressed at a brisk pace, kept the scoreboard moving and refused to get bogged down by dot balls. Together, they have not only plastered over the cracks but also forged Ireland’s best-ever ninth-wicket stand in ODIs, offering a spirited display of lower-order resistance when their frontline batters struggled to find any sort of fluency. Although the likes of Stirling and Carmichael got the starts, but they weren't able to convert those into big scores.

Fight until the last drop of blood - That is the sort of battle cry that rings true when a team has its back against the wall. With Ireland staring at the prospect of being bowled out with nearly 20 overs still remaining, they could easily have folded under pressure, but instead, they picked themselves up, regrouped and launched a spirited fightback. Their lower order has shown remarkable courage and resilience to get them past 200, which, in all fairness, looked a bridge too far at one stage. Of course, the total may still not appear imposing against Afghanistan’s experienced batting line-up, but Ireland have given themselves something to defend.

End of a very resilient partnership, worth 76 runs. But that has surely brought some hope in that Irish camp. Byron McDonough is the last man in for the hosts. Meanwhile, Hoey helps himself with some fluids as McDonough prepares to face his first ball. Good to continue. Can he survive his first and the over's last ball?

A very profitable over for the hosts as 12 runs come off that. And with the last 5 overs to go, 220 looks well within reach for the Irish men, which, at one stage, looked absolutely impossible. Yamin Ahmadzai is brought back on. 1/31 in 8 overs so far are his bowling figures. He replaces Fazalhaq Farooqi.

That's a wrap - That brings us to the end of a thrilling contest as Afghanistan extend their series lead to 2-0. The action continues with the 4th ODI on Wednesday, August 12, starting at 9.45 am GMT. Be sure to tune in early for all the pre-match buildup and analysis as Ireland look to bounce back and Afghanistan aim to maintain their dominance. Until then, it's a wrap from our end. Cheers and goodbye!

The captain of Afghanistan - Rahmat Shah says that it was a low-scoring match and he is happy to be on the winning side. Reflecting on the bowling performance, he says he had provided the bowlers with plans based on the field placements and match situation. He praises Yamin Ahmadzai, Rashid Khan and AM Ghazanfar for bowling to their fields and assessing the conditions intelligently. Rahmat also underlines that he felt nervous during the closing stages, as low scoring games can be particularly tense. He also highlights Ireland’s ninth-wicket partnership as a key lesson, saying Afghanistan would look to break such stands much earlier in future matches whenever the opportunity arises.

The captain of Ireland - Paul Stirling reflects that the main takeaway from both matches was Ireland’s ability to put themselves in competitive positions. He feels that they had been well ahead during the Powerplay and believes that an additional 20 or 30 runs could have made the difference in this game. Further explains that the pitch was tricky, offering plenty of assistance to the seamers before gripping and turning for the spinners. Stirling believes that a total of 220 or 230 could have been enough on the surface. He expresses his delight with the fight shown by Jai Moondra and Gavin Hoey with the bat, who made the ball look easier to handle than Ireland’s top-order batters. He says the surface nipped, stopped and spun as it softened, while the heavy roller used during the interval also played a significant role in changing the conditions. Adds that the Afghanistan bowlers enjoyed the best of the first 10 overs, which proved to be a major shift in the match. On Gavin Hoey's performance, he is all praise for him, saying the young wrist-spinner had been selected to provide a big threat. Stirling is particularly impressed by Hoey’s control while bowling with two slips and attacking field settings, adding that he will only improve with experience. Looking ahead, Stirling stresses that Ireland need to keep developing and learn to put together a complete 100-over performance. He feels the team is currently producing strong passages in isolation and stresses that the challenge would be carrying that improvement into the next match.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Rashid Khan receives the award for his impressive all-round performance. He finished with figures of 3/44 in 10 overs. He also contributed massively with the bat with his unbeaten knock of 37 runs in 43 balls. There appears to be a technical issue with the microphone, so his comments are difficult to hear clearly. However, he looks pretty chuffed up and his delight is clearly evident as he proudly holds the award while speaking to the broadcaster.

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Rashid seals the win - With the pressure mounting and Ireland smelling an upset, superstar Rashid Khan brought much-needed calm to the Afghan dugout. Rashid compiled a serene 37 runs, keeping the scoreboard ticking while absorbing all the pressure the Irish attack threw at him. At the other end, Yamin Ahmadzai played a stubborn hand, scoring 4 off 26 balls and refusing to give his wicket away. Despite Gavin Hoey's heroic four-wicket haul, Afghanistan held their nerve to cross the finish line with three wickets to spare, wrapping up a memorable match and the series title.

Gurbaz shines, Hoey strikes - Chasing 207, Afghanistan looked in total control early on behind a brilliant knock from Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Gurbaz played the role of aggressor, charging to 71 off 77 balls alongside solid contributions from Sediqullah Atal and Hashmatullah Shahidi. However, Ireland refused to lie down. Pick of the bowlers Gavin Hoey produced a game-changing spell, removing Gurbaz in the 29th over and sending Darwish Rasooli back soon after. When Mark Adair removed Azmatullah Omarzai for 13, Afghanistan were suddenly in trouble at 176/7, giving Ireland a genuine glimmer of hope.

The spin dominance - Electing to field first, Afghanistan drew early blood through Fazalhaq Farooqi, but Paul Stirling and Cade Carmichael managed to rebuild with a 44-run stand. The tide turned sharply when spin duo Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (3/29) and Rashid Khan (3/44) tore through the middle order, leaving Ireland reeling at 128/8. Just as an early collapse loomed, Gavin Hoey and Jai Moondra staged a magnificent 76-run partnership for the ninth wicket to lift Ireland to a competitive 206. Yamin Ahmadzai finally broke the stand to finish with 2/35 as Ireland were bundled out in the final overs.

Afghanistan lead 2-0 - Afghanistan have extended their dominance in the series, taking a 2-0 lead after a hard-fought three-wicket victory. While Afghanistan proved why they are such a dangerous side by executing under pressure, Ireland deserve immense credit for refusing to surrender. The hosts turned what looked like a routine run-chase into a nail-biting finish, pushing the visitors to the absolute limit.

Jai Moondra is back on for his final over. 9-0-60-0 so far.

A slip in place, along with short leg and a leg slip, fielders who are under the lid with Yamin on strike. Rashid walks over for a quick word, seemingly reminding him not to get carried away by the emotion of the moment. Meanwhile, Stirling is making wholesale changes to the field, constantly rearranging his resources in search of a breakthrough.

Excellent spell of bowling from Adair. 2/36 in 10 overs, including a maiden! Afghanistan are 14 runs adrift now and can see the finish line. Would like to cross that without any adventures. Harry Tector returns. 3-0-12-0 so far.