Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Afghanistan vs Ireland 3rd ODI Preview Dream11. AFG vs IRE 3rd ODI Preview Dream11 Prediction
An Afghanistan spin masterclass and Irish fight has headlined this series to date. Rain ruined the second ODI after Ireland fought back, who now have the chance to level the series with two to play.
Afghanistan should still like their chances, though. They set an excellent platform in the second ODI, but risked not even reaching 250. While three half centuries were scored, Afghanistan will feel they have improvement in them after losing five in pursuit of 162 to win the first ODI. Of course, their spin attack remains a big threat, and can ensure they cannot lose the series with a win here.
Ireland’s bowlers were on the wrong end of carnage in the T20Is. In the ODIs, though, they have fared a lot better, bowling well enough to give them hope of competing strongly. However, their batting is an area to look at, with the Irish struggling badly in the first ODI. That they reached 161 was a good effort in the end. Here, though, they need to aim for 200+.
Key to an Afghanistan win
If Afghanistan’s spinners fire, then the 250 they managed before the rain set in on Saturday would be plenty. Mujeeb ur Rahman will be present again to challenge the Irish batsmen early, with Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan to follow. Asghar Afghan can count on 30 quality overs from these three, and will be keen for quality from his seam bowlers that keeps the pressure on Ireland. Gulbadin Naib was man of the match in the first ODI, and Dawlat Zadran or Sayed Shirzad will be key in providing more wicket taking threat. Will Afghanistan rip through the Irish top order again?
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Also, who will get a start and convert it? Hazratullah Zazai played his trademark knock in the second ODI, which enabled the likes of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi to settle into the innings. The same will be expected here, but Afghanistan will want slightly better strike rotation in the middle overs, plus converting starts to bigger scores. Will it be a more polished display by Afghanistan?
Key to an Ireland win
Ireland’s bowlers have shown they can put up a fight. However, their batting is key to their success. Their only innings so far this series saw them reach 15/3 at the end of the powerplay, which meant they were fighting to keep their head above water for the rest of the innings. Paul Stirling is in good form, but Ireland need more from the likes of William Porterfield and Andy Balbirnie in delivering a strong start against Mujeeb ur Rahman in particular. Can the Irish also play the seamers well and ensure at least one set batsman is at the crease when Rashid Khan comes on to bowl?
Also, can Ireland pick up early wickets, just as they lost them in the first ODI? Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin and Andy McBrine will be key at the top. Limiting the impact of hard-hitting Hazratullah Zazai will be crucial. Early wickets for Ireland can allow George Dockrell and the miserly Simi Singh to target an Afghanistan middle order that can take time to get in. While plenty of focus is on their batting, Ireland’s bowlers again have a crucial role to play.
Possible Playing 11
It remains to be seen whether Afghanistan stick with the same team as the washed out ODI, where they had some experimentation.
Afghanistan: 1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Javed Ahmadi/Mohammad Shahzad, 3. Rahmat Shah, 4. Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5. Asghar Afghan (c), 6. Mohammad Nabi, 7. Gulbadin Naib, 8. Ikram Ali Khil (wk), 9. Rashid Khan, 10. Sayed Shirzad, 11. Mujeeb ur Rahman
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Ireland handed a debut to James Cameron-Dow in the last match, who was expensive. However, they could stick with the same XI.
Ireland: 1. William Porterfield (c), 2. Paul Stirling, 3. Andy Balbirnie, 4. Kevin O’Brien, 5. Simi Singh, 6. Stuart Poynter (wk), 7. George Dockrell, 8. James Cameron-Dow, 9. Andy McBrine, 10. Boyd Rankin, 11. Tim Murtagh
Dream11 Prediction
Stats and Facts
- Ireland came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 in the 2017 series vs Afghanistan in UAE.
- Hazratullah Zazai’s last four scores vs Ireland across formats: 162*, 31, 25, 67.
- Rashid Khan has 42 ODI wickets against Ireland, averaging 14.90.
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Match Prediction
Ireland showed some excellent fight in the washed out second ODI. Conditions in Dehradun for the second match looks clear, which should hopefully provide good, competitive cricket.
However, Afghanistan’s spinners look too strong. I back the Afghans to win and take a 2-0 series lead.
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Afghanistan vs Ireland 3rd ODI Preview Dream11. AFG vs IRE 3rd ODI Preview Dream11 Prediction
