NEW DELHI: Following Ireland's historic maiden Test triumph in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi showered praise on the opposition pacers, acknowledging their exceptional performance.
Shahidi admitted that his team faltered in batting on the opening day and recognized the challenging nature of the pitch at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi, stating it wasn't favorable for batting.
Despite the defeat, Shahidi highlighted the positive performances of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Naveed Zadran against the Irish.
Congratulating the Irishmen on winning their first-ever Test match, six years after being recognised as a Test-playing nation, said, "I think the first day, when we were batting, we let ourselves down. Irish seamers were bowling very well... but we threw our wickets away. The conditions weren't good for batting. From day one, the ball was seaming. Their bowlers were also very disciplined, and bowled in the right areas. We have some positives. Gurbaz was very positive on debut. Naveed had had a good Test against Sri Lanka, and in this match also he did very well. Zia had a five-for [too]. [The first win] is always special, and I congratulate them. We move forward, and learn", ESPNCricinfo quoted Shahidi as saying.
Balbirnie's 58* and Lorcan Tucker's run-a-ball 27* helped the Irishmen make history, as they recorded their first-ever win in red-ball cricket.
Settling Irish nerves after the team was reduced 13/3 chasing a modest target of 111, skipper Andrew Balbirnie mixed caution with controlled aggression as he helped his team get over the line.
Leading the chase for the Irish, Balbirnie found an able hand in young middle-order batsman Lorcan Tucker, who stuck around with the skipper to take the team home.
(With inputs from ANI)The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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