Ireland vs Afghanistan 3rd ODI Powerplay: Ireland Reach 46/1 After Early Blow

BELFAST: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to field first against Ireland in the crucial 3rd One-Day International at the Stormont Cricket Ground.

The visitors made one strategic adjustment to their bowling attack, bringing in paceman Yamin Ahmadzai to replace Mohammad Saleem Safi. Ireland, desperate to keep the five-match series alive, opted to stick with an unchanged playing XI.

Early Blow for the Hosts

Ireland's innings got off to a rocky start under the overcast Belfast skies. Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi struck an early blow for Afghanistan, removing the experienced Andrew Balbirnie for just 7 runs. Balbirnie fell in the early exchanges after mistiming a delivery to Sediqullah Atal. Despite the early setback, Irish captain Paul Stirling and the young Cade Carmichael initiated a steady rebuilding phase. By the conclusion of the first 10-over powerplay, the hosts managed to steady the ship to reach 46/1, scoring at a current run rate of 4.60 runs per over. 

Both Stirling and Carmichael remained unbeaten on 16 runs each.

High Stakes in Belfast

Having seen the opening match at Bready completely washed out due to torrential rain, Afghanistan capitalised heavily in the second fixture, securing a dominant 92-run victory. That win was orchestrated by a composed 84 from Ibrahim Zadran and an extraordinary, match-winning six-wicket haul (6/34) by star leg-spinner Rashid Khan.

A victory today would guarantee Afghanistan an unassailable lead in the bilateral window. For Ireland, the remainder of the afternoon demands structural partnerships from their middle order to post a competitive total against a confident Afghan spin contingent.

Watch IRE vs AFG 3rd ODI live on tapmad.