HIGHLIGHTS
• Tim Murtagh is the only No.11 batsman in Test history to score more than 25 runs in each innings of a match
• Murtagh scored 54 not out and 27 in each innings for Ireland
• Afghanistan need 118 runs in two days to win the match
Ireland's No.11 batsman Tim Murtagh created a new record during Day 3 of the historic Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun on Sunday as he became the first 11th batsman to score more than 25 runs in each innings of a Test match. At stumps on Day 3, Ireland were all out for 288 and Afghanistan were 29 for 1, needing 118 runs to win the match.
Murtagh, who had scored a defying 54 not out for Ireland in the first innings, playing a 27-run innings on Sunday to get the record in the history of Test cricket spanning 142 years.
The match is tilted in favour of Afghanistan at the moment with the hosts needing 118 runs in two days to win their first Test match. Since attaining the Test status, both the teams are playing only their second match.
Afghanistan had played their first Test against India last year, where they lost by an innings and 262 runs. Ireland, on the other hand, had played their first Test against Pakistan that they lost by five wickets.
Ireland had got bowled out for just 172 runs in the first innings and then they bowled out Afghanistan for 314.
In the second innings for Ireland, Andrew Balbirnie was the highest scorer with 82 off 149 runs while Kevin O Brien put up the second-highest score of 56.
Afghanistan, who had a solid first innings where Rahmat Shah (98), Hashmatullah Shahidi (61) and Asghar Afghan (67) shone, lost Mohammad Shahzad for 2 in the second innings.
At stumps they were 29 for 1 with Ihsanullah Janat (16 not out) and Rahmat Shah (11 not out) on the crease.