Ireland lost three wickets for just 13 runs. But now their collection is 36/3. Ireland need 75 more runs to win. Experienced players like Andy Balbirnie (c), Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine are still there. Scoring 75 runs is an easy task. If the batsmen can survive at the crease then Ireland can easily collect 75 runs. And they have quite a few experienced batsmen in their squad. Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine batted well in the first innings.
Ireland created history; this is their maiden test victory. Emotional scenes all around. Ireland won the only test match by 6 wickets. Andy Balbirnie played the captain's inning, stayed calm under pressure and took his team to the glory. Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine batted beautifully, and the partnership of 72 runs took the game away from Afghanistan. Afghanistan bowlers looked threatening, but the pair played them with ease.
Ireland performed well. They deserve to win this match. Ireland's bowlers took full advantage of Afghanistan's poor batting. In particular I would like to mention Mark Adair. He bowled brilliantly. Adair took 5 wickets in the first innings and 3 wickets in the second innings. Jahrao Craig Young's bowling was also very good. He managed to take 5 wickets in two innings.
Ireland's batsmen have also been able to bat very responsibly. Andy Balbirnie did not play well in the first innings but in the second innings he was unbeaten with 52 runs. Lorcan Tucker batted very well in both innings.
Ireland's squad now has plenty of experienced players. If the players are hardworking and confident then this team can play better in future. And can challenge the big teams. Ireland should now host series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies. This will give the players an opportunity to become more experienced.