DUBLIN: Kevin O’Brien’s innings came to an end on the first ball of the dayon the fifth and final day of the Test match against Pakistan
Haris Sohail took the catch at slip after Mohammad Abbas found the edge asO’Brien was dismissed without adding anything to his overnight score of 118.
On Monday, Kevin O’Brien became the first Irish batsman to score a centuryin men’s Test cricket.
Today, Pakistan will be looking to stop the flow of runs from the Irish andtake the last three wickets before Ireland can put up a big score.
When the Irish will get down to the pitch today they will be hoping tobuild on yesterday’s momentum where O’Brien scored an unbeaten 118.
Ireland, who were made to follow-on, were 319-7 at stumps on the fourth dayat Malahide – with a lead of 139 runs.Fourth-day innings
Ireland started the day on their highly creditable overnight 64 withoutloss.
But they lost four wickets in Monday’s first session, with left-arm quickMohammad Amir — who had both openers dropped during a brief spell on Sundaybefore going off with a knee problem — enjoying a burst of two wickets forno runs in six balls.
It was a heartening sign for Pakistan ahead of their upcoming two-Testseries in England that will feature back-to-back fixtures at Lord’s (May24-28) and Headingley (June 1-5).
Amir, however, repeatedly limped around the field on Monday when he was notbowling.
Ireland resumed with veteran opener Ed Joyce, arguably their greatestbatsman of all time, 39 not out and captain William Porterfield unbeaten on23. At that stage they were still 116 runs behind.
The last thing Ireland needed was to gift Pakistan a wicket via a runoutand yet that is exactly how an opening stand eventually worth 69 runs endedwhen Joyce set off for a needlessly tight single before failing to beatFaheem Ashraf’s direct hit from midwicket.
The 39-year-old left-hander was out for 43, including six well-struck fours.
Fear that as soon as Ireland lost one wicket, another might follow quicklywere proved correct as 69 for one became 69 for two, with Andrew Balbirnielbw to Mohammad Abbas for nought for the second time in the match as hecompleted a pair.
Amir struck with his 29th ball Monday when Niall O’Brien, Kevin’s brother,had his stumps uprooted for a wicket greeted with the bowler’s familiararms outstretched celebration.
And 94 for three became 95 for four when Amir had Porterfield (32) edgingto wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain.
An innings defeat was still a possibility when Amir, given a jail sentenceand banned from cricket for five years as a result of his involvement in aspot-fixing scandal during the 2010 Lord´s Test, took his 100th wicket in31 matches at this level when Gary Wilson was held in the slips by HarisSohail. – APP/AFP