Ireland vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Predictions - Afghanistan to taste victory after Indian hammering

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 1 hour ago

Simon Lewis 1 hour ago

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Ireland drew their last ODI series against the West Indies last year.
Afghanistan lost to India 3-0 in their recent ODI series.
As could be expected in Ireland there is a good chance of rain through the day, with cool conditions that the visitors are likely to battle with.

Andy Balbirnie has scored 45-plus in three of his last four knocks (Getty Images).

Ireland vs Afghanistan Predictions

Afghanistan have been performing well over the last few years but are prone to collapse. Ireland typically struggle against the higher-ranked sides but when they click they are competitive. Afghanistan are the strong favourites but with the benefit of home conditions this has the potential to go either way.

Ireland vs Afghanistan Predictions
Head-to-Head
Ireland Form
Afghanistan Form
Team news

Ireland’s Andy Balbirnie has scores of 45, 53 & 102* in his last 4 innings.
Ireland’s Harry Tector has scored 98, 34*, 86 & 59* in his last 4 knocks.
Ireland’s George Dockrell has figures of 2/63 & 4/55 in 4 matches.
Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored 31, 31, 65 & 42 in his last 5 matches.
Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi has scores of 25, 23 & 52 in his last 5 innings.
Afghanistan’s Ziaur Rahman has taken 2/31 & 2/25 in his last 3 matches.

Head-to-Head

Afghanistan have won their last four completed ODIs against Ireland.

Ireland Form

Ireland will take confidence into this series after drawing 1-1 with the West Indies, winning the opening match before narrowly missing out on the series victory. Those performances underlined their ability to challenge strong opposition in home conditions, with Paul Stirling's experience as captain expected to be a key asset.

The batting will revolve around Stirling, who has amassed 355 runs in his last 10 ODIs at an average close to 40. Andy Balbirnie has also been a consistent contributor with more than 257 runs in his last 10 matches, while Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker add further quality and depth to the middle order.

Ireland's bowling attack looks equally competitive. Mark Adair has been in excellent form, collecting 15 wickets in his last seven matches. Spin will also play an important role through Andy McBrine, who has claimed 91 wickets in 96 ODIs, while the experienced George Dockrell brings added control and know-how with 111 ODI wickets to his name.

Afghanistan Form

Afghanistan enter the series looking to bounce back after a disappointing 3-0 ODI defeat to India. The losses prompted a leadership change, with Rahmat Shah taking over as captain following Hashmatullah Shahidi's decision to step down. The return of left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi also strengthens their bowling attack.

The visitors will once again rely heavily on their top order. Ibrahim Zadran has been in outstanding form, scoring 462 runs in his last nine matches at an average above 51. Captain Rahmat Shah has also been among the runs, contributing 269 in the same period.

Afghanistan's biggest strength remains their bowling, particularly their world-class spin attack. Rashid Khan continues to lead the way with 19 wickets in his last nine matches, while Azmatullah Omarzai has added excellent support with 15 wickets over the same span. The inclusion of Farooqi gives Afghanistan another proven wicket-taking option and further balances an already dangerous attack.

Team news

Afghanistan have rung the changes after their series whitewash against India

Rahmat Shah captains Afghanistan for the first time in an ODI. Quick bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Yamin Ahmadzai have been brought in, while spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is out with an injury. Fareed Malik and Bilal Sami have been benched, while seasoned allrounder Mohammad Nabi is missing on franchise duty.

Ireland squad: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, George Dockrell, Gavin Hoey, Andrew McBrine, Liam McCarthy, Byron McDonough, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker.

Afghanistan squad: Rahmat Shah (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Nangyal Kharotai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.

Verdict

Ireland v Afghanistan

Afghanistan are the overwhelming favourites to win. Andy Balbirnie looks a good bet to get among the runs for the home side, while George Dockrell is Ireland’s most in-form bowler.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been really consistent with the bat for Afghanistan. Ziaur Rahman offers great odds as his side’s best bowler on the back of some good wicket-taking performances.

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