Afghanistan vs Ireland Prediction: Spinners will be key commodity in this game.

Afghanistan and Ireland are going head to head in the 1st Match of Test Series at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 28 Feb 2024. Spinners will be a key commodity in this game. Who will win this game of cricket?

In their recent test match against Sri Lanka, the Afghanistan team suffered a defeat by ten wickets. Rahmat Shah has been a standout performer with 184 runs in his last four innings, while Ibrahim Zadran and Nasir Jamal have also made significant contributions with 120 and 82 runs respectively in their previous outings. Nijat Masood, Naveen Zadran, and Zahir Khan are key bowlers for Afghanistan, with impressive performances in their recent innings. The team will rely on these players to deliver runs and wickets in their upcoming matches.

Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Nasir Jamal, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Naveed Zadran, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masood, Khalil Gurbaz and Zia Ur Rahman

The Ireland team's recent performance in test matches has been poor, losing their last five games, including their latest match against England by ten wickets. In terms of batting, Lorcan Tucker has been the highest run-scorer for Ireland in the past year, scoring 351 runs in eight innings with an average of 43.87. Harry Tector and Andy McBrine have also been consistent performers with averages of 42.00 and 36.85 respectively. Andy McBrine has been the top bowler for Ireland, taking eleven wickets in his last five innings, while Mark Adair and Ben White have also been effective with four wickets each in their recent outings. These players are the key performers to watch out for in Ireland's upcoming contest.

Harry Tector, Andrew Balbirnie (c), James McCollum, Paul Stirling, Peter Moor, Lorcan Tucker (wk) Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Craig Young and Andy McBrine

The competition between Ireland and Afghanistan will take place at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Known for its batting-friendly pitch, the team that wins the toss is likely to choose to bat first. The wicket in Abu Dhabi tends to favor high scores initially but tends to become more spinner-friendly as the game progresses. Therefore, it would be advantageous for the winning skipper to bat first and utilize the conditions for spinners later on.

The weather forecast for the test match predicts clear and sunny conditions with temperatures around 20 degrees. While there is a possibility of showers, it is not expected to significantly impact the game.

Both teams have had poor performances in recent test matches, but Afghanistan may have an edge due to their familiarity with the conditions. Therefore, it is predicted that Afghanistan will emerge victorious in this contest.