Afghanistan beat Ireland by 109 runs in the fourth ODI in Dehradun to go 2-1 up in the series with one game to go.
Despite Afghanistan crashing to 81-6 during their first innings, half-centuries from Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan guided the hosts to a competitive total of 223.
Aftab Alam then starred with the ball, collecting figures of 4-25 to take Afghanistan to a comfortable win.
Ireland once again produced a tidy all-round bowling display, with James Cameron-Dow’s 3-32 the highlight, but they perhaps lacked the cutting edge to deliver the knockout punch while the Afghans were floored.
While Afghanistan’s lower-order rebuild led by Nabi and Rashid deserves high praise, Ireland would have gone into the interval knowing they had possibly let a great opportunity slip.
Chasing 224 for victory in the second innings, William Porterfield and Paul Stirling shared 31 for the first wicket, before Porterfield fell leg before wicket to Alam, quickly followed by centurion of the last match, Andy Balbirnie for a duck. Stirling went a run later to leave Ireland at 33-3.
Simi Singh and Kevin O’Brien steadied the ship with a 33-run stand, but when Singh was bowled by Rashid Khan it prompted another mini-collapse, with George Dockrell – another who showed fine form during the previous match – and Stuart Poynter not lasting long, bowled by Gulbadin Naib and Aftab respectively. By the 30th over Ireland were 90-6 – a similar position Afghanistan had found themselves in a few hours before.
But did the Irish have the same lower-order firepower to fuel a comeback? There was of course hope while O’Brien remained, with Ireland surely taking some heart from the incredible Balbirnie-Dockrell stand in the third ODI, but it was a big ask against a classy attack.
It wasn’t to be. Rashid removed McBrine caught and bowled, before the impressive Alam, bowled both O’Brien and Tim Murtagh during the next over.
It was fitting that Nabi grabbed the winning wicket, with his excellent half-century in the first innings supplemented by a brilliant bowling economy rate of a meagre 2.40 in the second.
Earlier, having won the toss and elected to bowl, Ireland’s bowlers started brightly. Off-spinner McBrine got one through Hazratullah Zazai’s defences, but not before being hit for two stupendous sixes over long-off. Veteran Murtagh got in on the act courtesy of a stunning catch by Dockrell, as Afghanistan limped to 23-2.
Afghanistan’s middle order regrouped before Asghar signalled his intent with a six over midwicket off Murtagh – he was done playing the patient game. At 54-2 at the ten-over mark, Boyd Rankin was thrown the ball and wreaked havoc right away, nabbing Rahmat Shah via a feathered inside edge.
McBrine then found the edge of Ikram Ali Khil’s blade, before the impressive James Cameron-Dow removed both Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran in quick succession, courtesy of an lbw and caught behind respectively.
The outlook looked bleak for Afghanistan at 81-6 but they regathered as they so often do, with Asghar going on to post his second half-century in successive games and Mohammad Nabi eking out every ounce of his experience and quality.
Nabi only struck five boundaries during his 85-ball 54, but both he and Rashid Khan, who made a 58-ball 52 from No.9, combined to propel Afghanistan to 223.
Afghanistan 223 (49.1 overs; A Afghan 54, M Nabi 64, R Khan 52; J Cameron-Row 3-32)
Ireland 114 (35.3 overs; K O’Brien 26; A Alam 4-25, R Khan 2-22)
Afghanistan won by 109 runs
