Image Credit- ACB
Having finally got
the “monkey off their backs,” Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie hopes
that the country’s first Test victory will “inspire people back home to
want to be Test match cricketers.” Ireland defeated Afghanistan by six
wickets in Abu Dhabi, marking their first victory in the longest format of the
game seven years after they made their debut. This was their eighth attempt at
winning the format.
Ireland dominated the Test from the very beginning. On the first day, Mark
Adair, a fast bowler, exploited the Afghanistan batting lineup, taking 5 for
39. Ireland took a 108-run lead thanks to Paul Stirling’s fifty and two vital
40s from Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher.
“It’s a lot
bigger than cricket. Hopefully, we will inspire some people back home to want
to be Test match cricketers and hopefully we can back them up to do it,” a
beaming Balbirnie said after the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Afghanistan was
bowled out for 218 in the second innings, with Adair taking three wickets once
more. Ireland was struggling at 13 for 3, behind 111, but Balbirnie calmed down
with an undefeated 58 to get his team over the finish line late in the third day.
“We started the Test really well after losing the toss,” Balbirnie
said. “The bowling was outstanding and really disciplined. With the score
[target] like that, you are one partnership away, the more time we spent there,
the easier it got. Obviously there were nerves, we were chasing our first win,
but I knew if I could settle in there, we could win.”
Balbirnie was also
effusive in praise of the fast bowlers, who picked up 19 of the 20 wickets to
fall. There were three debutants in the Ireland XI – Barry McCarthy, Craig
Young and Theo van Woerkom – all of whom gave good support to Adair.
“We knew it would be attritional stuff, probably swung a bit more on that
first day, but we still had to bowl well and create chances,” Balbirnie
said. “And I think we did that. The spinners came into the game as well,
created chances, tied down ends when they needed to as well. It was just an
all-round performance and I think we deserved it.
“From the first day we won a lot of sessions out there and to win our
first Test, we are absolutely ecstatic.”