• Afghanistan defeated Ireland in the first ODI of the three-match series by 35 runs.

  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional century.

Twitter reactions: Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s century overshines Harry Tector’s ton as Afghanistan beat Ireland in 1st ODI
Afghanistan beat Ireland in the first ODI (Image Source: Twitter)

The first One Day International (ODI) of the Afghanistan versus Ireland series held in the UAE 2024, saw a brilliant performance from Afghanistan as they ended up winning the contest by 35 runs and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz blows away Ireland with a stunning ton

Afghanistan’s innings started with a solid performance from their opening batter. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a remarkable innings and smashed a tremendous hundred. Gurbaz smashed 121 runs off 117 deliveries, including 8 fours and 6 sixes. He was well-supported by Ibrahim Zadran, who contributed 60 runs off 93 balls.

The middle-order batter also made significant contributions, with Hashmatullah Shahidi scoring 50 runs off 33 balls and Mohammad Nabi adding 40 runs off 27 deliveries. Afghanistan posted a challenging total of 310/5 in their allotted 50 overs.

Harry Tector’s century in vain

In response, Ireland faced a daunting task chasing the target set by Afghanistan. Their innings began with early setbacks as Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling were dismissed cheaply. However, Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker displayed commendable batting performances.

Tector anchored the innings with a magnificent knock of 138 runs off 147 balls, while Tucker scored a brilliant 85 runs off 76 deliveries. Despite their efforts, Ireland fell short of the target, managing to score 275/8 in their 50 overs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi shines with the ball

Afghanistan’s bowlers put up a disciplined effort to defend their total. Fazalhaq Farooqi was the standout performer with the ball, claiming 4 wickets while conceding 51 runs in his 10 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai and Noor Ahmad also contributed with 2 and 1 wickets respectively.

In the end, Afghanistan emerged victorious by 35 runs, showcasing a strong all-round performance. Gurbaz was named the Player of the Match for his exceptional century, which played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s triumph.

Also READ: Afghanistan vs Ireland 2024, ODI series: Date, Match Time, Squads, Broadcast and Live Streaming details

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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