‘It is kind of overwhelming’ – Skipper Andy Balbirnie on Ireland’s history-making first Test match win

The whole squad went over to their families and friends gathered neared the presentation area at the end of the match and Balbirnie admitted the win, at only their eighth attempt, had still not sunk in.

“I played in the match when Afghanistan won their first Test (in 2019) and saw what it meant to them, We are a new Test nation and absolutely love playing it. We know it’s hard and we will get beaten, so we will savour this win.

“It is kind of overwhelming how important this win is, but once we unwrap the whites in July (against Zimbabwe in Stormont) we will be ready to go again.

“It is a very different team to 2019, but it means so much to the group. Test cricket is really important for the game and it’s important to us as players and we are very privileged to play it."

Mark Adair was named Player of the Match, but Balbirnie also credited his two fast bowling colleagues who took nine wickets between them on their debuts.

“Barry (McCarthy) and Craig (Young) bowled beautifully all week, but for Mark to take five wickets in the first innings and eight in the game was superb. He has really taken on the mantle of leader of the attack and deserved the man of the match.”

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott, the former England Test player, added his praise for the Ireland bowlers who took seven wickets for 84 on Friday.

“Another 50 runs would have made it difficult for Ireland, but we leaked runs all around and the way Ireland bowled this morning was impressive. We couldn’t withstand the pressure.”

Balbirnie showed a captain’s composure to lead Ireland to the historic first Test match win in Abu Dhabi, scoring an unbeaten half-century that saw his side beat Afghanistan with six wickets to spare.

The margin of victory belies a nervy third-afternoon chase of 111 as Ireland wobbled on 13-3, but Balbirnie stood tall, steadying the ship alongside best mate Paul Stirling and then partnering Lorcan Tucker in a match-winning stand of 72.

The skipper had looked out of sorts during his brief first innings but didn’t put a foot wrong when it mattered, with his presence and cool head at the crease as important as his 58 not out, the highest score of an absorbing contest

Tucker was impressive too, working the ball around intelligently to keep the scoreboard moving, and finishing unbeaten on 27 when he scampered the winning run to the delight of the 20-odd Ireland fans inside the Tolerance Oval.

While the fifth-wicket pair deserve their plaudits, the victory was earned on the backs of the Ireland seam attack who took 19 of the 20 Afghanistan wickets and maintained excellent lines and lengths throughout.

Adair had already added two wickets to his first innings haul of five going into what proved to be the final day, and he struck another crucial blow early on by removing Afghan skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi lbw for 55.

Whole-hearted McCarthy grabbed a wicket either side of lunch for figures of 3-48 and four in total, while Young took two in two and then hit the stumps again to end the Afghanistan second innings on 218.

“The lads are absolutely buzzing,” Balbirnie said. “To get over the line and win a Test match as soon as we have is fantastic.

“It was a really good session this morning. We were very disciplined and dried up the runs. It was a bit nervy with the chase early on but over the three days I think we deserved the win.”

Every player contributed to the win, even opener PJ Moor, who failed twice with the bat, held a sensational catch in the gully on the second evening, while spinner Theo van Woerkom chipped in by ending a worrying eighth-wicket stand today.

Adair’s return of 8-95 -vthe best by an Ireland bowler in eight Tests -vwon him the Player of the Match award, and he could prove a handful for Zimbabwe when Ireland next don the whites in his home town of Belfast at the end of July.

Adair, McCarthy and Young on a green top at Stormont? After waiting six years for a Test win, could two come along together?

Today's Sport News in 90 Seconds - 1st March