Sharjah is all set to st the AFG vs IRE third and final ODI on March 12. The match starts at 5 pm IST. The venue will also host the three-match T20I series to follow. The second ODI was washed out due to in making the third ODI the decider.
Afghanistan won the first ODI in a dominating fashion. They scored 310/5 with the bat courtesy of Rahmanullah Gurbaz’a’s sixth ODI ton. Mohammad Nabi (42) Ibrahim Zadran (60) and skipper Hasmautllah Shahidi (50) also scored runs.
Ireland chasing a mammoth 311 were bowled out for 275. Harry Tector (138) and Lorcan Tucker (85) scored substantially in the first ODI. However, there were no contributions from the rest of the batters which is why they lost the game.
Overall, in 31 ODI matches, Afghanistan have won 16 games while Ireland 13. In the last five ODIs, Afghanistan have won four games while the second ODI rained-out game was the only match that ended in a no-result. Ireland last won an ODI against Afghanistan in 2019.
Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are not a part of the Afghanistan ODI side. They have named three uncapped players in Left-arm spin bowling allrounder Nangyal Kharoti, right-arm offspinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, and right-arm quick Bilal Sami. Ghazanfar played in the first ODI bowling six overs for 34 runs.
Paul Stirling is the ODI skipper for Ireland, He scored just five in the big chase against Afghanistan in the first ODI. He has to step up as a skipper and as a batter. There will also be expectations from Tector and Tucker in the third ODI as well after their exploits in the first game.
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AFG vs IRE Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Sharjah Stadium – 3rd ODI, 2024
Weather Report Of Sharjah
The third AFG vs IRE ODI starts at 3.30 pm local time. The second ODI was washed out due to rain. The temperature will be around 27 in the afternoon with bright spells of sunshine and breezy and pleasant weather in the afternoon. The temperature in the evening will be around 20 degrees with clear weather conditions expected as per Accuweather.
Pitch Analysis
The pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium has always been a batting-friendly one. The venue has hosted over 250 ODI games with 133 matches won by the team batting first and 120 chasing. It has more for the spinners in the second half of the innings than the seamers. The absence of the likes of Rashid and Mujeeb has not allowed the spinners to have a say yet in the contest.
Weather Impact on AFG vs IRE 1st ODI
The weather conditions for the first ODI were very good for cricket. The second ODI was washed out due to rain. However, there was rain in the second ODI. It generally rains between November and March in the form of short downpours and an occasional thunderstorm. Overall the UAE sees rain only 25 days a year. The forecast as of now shows there will be no rain. However, any significant change in the weather conditions might have rain in store.
Conclusion
The AFG vs IRE series concludes with the third ODI. The two teams then play a three-match T20I series also in Sharjah between March 15-18. It will be interesting to see if it rains in the third ODI and in the T20I series that follows./
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