First time in world cricket - Two six-wicket hauls in the same ODI
ODI history was created at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground during the second ODI between Afghanistan and Ireland. Paul Stirling and Rashid Khan both picked up a six-wicket haul in the match that was won by Afghanistan and for the first time in ODI history, two bowlers had taken a six-fer in the same ODI.
In the history of ODIs, never before have two bowlers picked up a six-wicket haul in the same match but in the 3851th ODI, it finally happened as two spinners scripted ODI history. Although there have been six-wicket hauls in ODIs achieved many times, never before have two bowlers taken one in the same ODI until 17th March 2017.
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After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Afghanistan got off to a great start. And despite Stirling’s incredible six-wicket haul, which was also his career-best figures in ODIs, they managed to post 338 in their 50 overs. In response, the 18-year-old Rashid Khan turned in his career-best ODI performance as he finished with figures of 6/43 to bowl Ireland out for 304 and help the hosts win by 34 runs and claim a 2-0 lead in the series.
Paul Stirling became only the 12th bowler to pick a six-wicket haul in an ODI and still end on the losing side. He is the first Irish bowler to achieve this unwanted feat and the first spinner to pick up a six-fer in an ODI defeat.
Muttiah Muralitharan’s figures of 10-3-9-5 against New Zealand in 2002 was the previous best bowling figures by a spinner in defeat but Stirling's figures of 10-0-55-6 is the best figures by a spinner in defeat in ODIs. What makes it even more impressive is that Stirling is an opener and is just a part-time bowler.
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The 18-year-old leg-spinner even got close to another record but he had to be content with being the third-youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in ODIs. At the age of just 18 years and 178 days, Rashid Khan has an ODI five-wicket haul but one bowler got to the mark faster.
Waqar Younis not only holds the record for being the youngest to take an ODI five-wicket haul at 18 years and 164 days against Sri Lanka in 1990 but he is also the second-youngest as he repeated his heroics two days later against New Zealand in Sharjah.