Published: Mar 16, 2019, 03:24 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 16, 2019, 03:23 PM (IST)
Rahmat Shah came agonisingly close to creating history but fell short of becoming the first batsman from his country to record a Test century as Afghanistan extended their lead to 70 runs when tea break was taken on Day 2 of their one-off Test against Ireland in Dehradun.
With the Afghanistan dressing room waiting with bated breath as he continued to inch closer to three figures, Shah chopped on a harmless wide delivery onto the stumps to be bowled on 98 as Tim Murtagh struck with the new ball giving Ireland another breakthrough.
However, before that, the session began with Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi firmly in control of the proceedings as they built a century stand. Shahidi, following in the footsteps of Shah, completed his own half-century and thus becomes the second Afghan batsman to do so.
He fell on 61 after hitting six fours during his 154-ball stay with Andy McBrine pinning him flush in front of the wickets. The stand for the third wicket was worth 130 runs.
That brought captain Asghar Afghan to the middle but his association with Shah didn’t last long as the latter fell to Murtagh. Shah struck 15 fours while consuming 214 deliveries.
Stuart Thompson struck immediately in the following over after Shah’s dismissal. Mohammed Nabi flicked one straight to James Cameron-Down at short midwicket to be out for a three-ball duck as Ireland hit back late in the second session.
Ireland had endured a wicketless morning session during which the Afghan pair of Shah and Shahidi added 67 runs in 30 overs.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan 242/5 (Rahmat Shah 98, Hashmatullah Shahidi 61; James Cameron-Dow 2/94) lead Ireland 172 (Tim Murtagh 54; Mohammad Nabi 3-36,) by 70 runs
