Ireland batting collapses in the historic test against Pakistan
Shares
DUBLIN: Ireland collapsed to 36 for five shortly after lunch on the third day of their inaugural men´s Test at Malahide on Sunday in reply to Pakistan´s first innings 310 for nine declared.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed´s well-timed declaration left Ireland with a tricky 30 minutes to bat before lunch and that was long enough for the hosts to lose a trio of top-order batsmen in 6.1 overs.
Veteran opener Ed Joyce was lbw to Mohammad Abbas for four before fellow opener Andrew Balbirnie, who might have been run out for a duck, was lbw to the paceman for nought.
Former England one-day international Joyce, arguably Ireland´s greatest batsman and at 39 the oldest Test debutant since Australia´s Bryce McGain made his bow aged 36 in 2009, appeared to be a victim of the fact the Decision Review System was not being used in this match because Cricket Ireland had decided they could not afford the cost for a one-off game.
But while replays suggested the ball that did for left-hander Joyce may have pitched outside the line, there was little doubt about the delivery that dismissed Balbirnie, who had previously had to scramble back to avoid being run out by Asad Shafiq´s direct hit from short leg.
Then, with what became the last ball before lunch, Ireland captain William Porterfield fell for one when left-arm quick Mohammad Amir uprooted his off-stump.
Abbas then had NJ O'Brien lbwed on duck, and Faheem Ashraf removed Stirling for 17.
Following Friday´s first-day washout, Ireland needed to make a total of 161 -- within 150 runs rather than the standard 200 of their opponents´ first innings -- to deny Pakistan the chance to enforce the follow-on.
Earlier, Test debutant Faheem Ashraf top-scored for Pakistan with 83 and together with Shadab Khan (55) put on 117 for the seventh wicket.
