In the Abu Dhabi Test match against Afghanistan, Ireland fast bowler Mark Adair struck twice in the space of four balls on his way to a maiden five-for in the format.

The Afghanistan-Ireland multi-format tour in the UAE includes only one Test match, at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and opted to bat.

Ibrahim Zadran and his uncle Noor Ali Zadran opened batting for Afghanistan, against Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy. Six overs into the Test, Afghanistan were 11-0.

Noor Ali failed to score off the first two balls of Adair’s next over, neither of which was particularly threatening. He then tried to drive, but the ball took the outside edge and went to Andy Balbirnie at third slip.

New batter Rahmat Shah left the next ball. The fifth ball of the over hit him on the pad, and Balbirnie reviewed when the umpire ruled Rahmat not out. Replays revealed that the ball would have missed the leg stump. To the next delivery, Rahmat played down the wrong line, and the ball uprooted the off stump and sent it cartwheeling.

Ibrahim (55) and Shahidi (20) added 55 for the third wicket, but Afghanistan collapsed from 86-3 to 90-6, and were eventually bowled out for 155, their second-lowest score in Test cricket. Karim Janat was left stranded on 40.

Adair finished with 5-39, the third-best Test match figures for Ireland, after Andy McBrine’s 6-118 against Bangladesh and Tim Murtagh’s 5-13 against England. He was supported by Craig Young (2-31) and Curtis Campher (2-13).

Watch Mark Adair take two wickets in four balls against Afghanistan:

Early blows for Afghanistan! ☝️☝️ Ireland strikes with two quick wickets.
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.#AFGvIRE #FanCode pic.twitter.com/k9fjWBoNPz

— FanCode (@FanCode) February 28, 2024

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