Ireland seek series parity in third ODI

With the first game washed out and the second going their way, visitors Afghanistan will be eager to take an unassailable lead when they face off against Ireland in the third game of the five-match One Day International (ODI) series at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont, Belfast on Thursday (July 14).

Ireland's form in the 50-over format hasn't been impressive of late as the William Porterfield-led side has suffered three losses on the trot while chasing, including the two ODIs against Sri Lanka last month. Despite possessing a tried and tested line up, the Irish batsmen have flattered to deceive on most occasions and that has had an immediate bearing on their results.

Meanwhile, there has been a slight improvement as far as their bowling is concerned. Having been at the receiving end of two 300+ totals against Sri Lanka, Ireland's bowlers fared a lot better against Afghanistan in the second one-dayer. Kevin O'Brien and Barry McCarthy picked up four-wicket hauls and were instrumental in keeping the visitors to a total of 250 despite a strong start from the opposition batsmen. They will be eager to come up with another disciplined performance while hoping for their batsmen to step up.

For Afghanistan, Mohammad Shahzad, the swashbuckling opener, has been providing quick-fire starts in the last few matches, and has registered two half-centuries in his last three outings, which augurs well for the Asghar Stanikzai-led team. However, the inconsistent form of some of the batsmen, including the skipper, has given Afghanistan a few headaches. A flurry of wickets following good starts has been the trend in Afghanistan's recent games, with Najibullah Zadran having had to play a couple of rescue acts. A collective performance from the batsmen is what the visitors will be hoping for in their bid to take a 2-0 lead.

Afghanistan do not have too many problems when it comes to their bowling as the likes of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran and Mirwais Ashraf have been on the mark. The visitors will be hoping that they continue in the same vein and help Afghanistan extend their unbeaten streak in bilateral series to four.

When: Ireland vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI - July 14 at 10:45 local (15:15 IST)Where: Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, BelfastWhat to expect: Partly cloudy with a high of 18 degree Celsius.

Team News:

The hosts are unlikely to make any changes to their eleven, while Afghanistan too are expected to retain the same side that took the field in the last game.

Did you know?

- Asghar Stanikzai has been dismissed for single-digit scores seven times in his last eight ODI innings. In the other outing he scored 20.

- If Mohammad Shahzad scores another fifty, he will become the first player from Afghanistan to score fifties in three consecutive innings in ODIs.

- The loss in the second match of the series was Ireland's 50th in ODI.

Squads:

Ireland: William Porterfield(c), John Anderson, Ed Joyce, Mark Richard Adair, Peter Chase, Tyrone Kane, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Stuart Poynter(w), Paul Stirling, Sean Terry, Gary Wilson

Afghanistan: Samiullah Shenwari, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Mohammad Shahzad(w), Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Asghar Stanikzai(c), Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Amir Hamza, Yamin Ahmadzai