As long as Glenn Maxwell remained at the crease, the Afghanistan players experienced a sense of deja vu. During their previous encounter with Australia at the 2023 ICC World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Maxwell, despite cramps, had secured a remarkable victory from a precarious 91/7 while chasing 293. His monumental double century had steered Australia towards another world title and pushed Afghanistan to the verge of elimination.
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| Maxwell snatched victory from Afgh last year |
The scenario was familiar. While the other Australian batter struggled, Maxwell once again seemed to be playing on a different pitch. By the end of the 14th over, he had propelled the score to 105/5, reducing the target to 44 runs from 36 balls, with a personal score of 59 from 39 balls.
Afghanistan needed a spark of genius, and it arrived with Noor Ahmad's fielding as he executed a superb, diving catch at backward point, dismissing Maxwell as he attempted to cut a length ball from Gulbadin Naib. With the primary threat eliminated, Afghanistan's bowlers breezed through the remaining batting lineup, securing their first World Cup victory over Australia.
Afghanistan put on a stellar all-round performance in the game. Sent in to bat first, the Asian team hit the ground running from the very first ball.
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| Openers orchestrated Afghanistan's win once again |
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60 off 49 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (51 off 48 balls) unsettled the bowlers with their assertive play. They scored a 118-run stand, the highest opening partnership for any team against Australia in T20 World Cups. On a pitch that favored spin, Afghanistan's total of 148 was a challenging target. Australia's apprehensions were realized when they were dismissed for 127 in 19.2 overs, resulting in a 21-run loss.
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| Opener Gurbaz playing another stellar knock |
Pace bowler Gulbadin Naib shone brightly, claiming four wickets, including that of Maxwell, for a mere 20 runs, and also took a remarkable catch to dismiss Ashton Agar. pacer Naveen-ul-Haq inflicted early setbacks, taking wickets in his first two overs and ending with impressive figures of 4-0-20-3. He caused a stir by bowling destructive opener Travis Head with a full, late-swinging delivery at the start of the second innings.
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| Gulbadin breathes fire against Aussie batters |
The outcome has left Group 1's prospects wide open. Australia now faces the task of playing against a strong Indian team in their final group match.
If Afghanistan defeats Bangladesh and Australia triumphs over India, the decision will come down to Net Run Rate (NRR). Australia's NRR (0.23) is superior to Afghanistan's but not as high as India's (2.42).
Even a narrow victory for Australia over India by one run would require Afghanistan (-0.650) to win by at least 36 runs to surpass Australia's NRR and secure the second qualifying spot.
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| Source: Cricbuzz |
Captain Rashid Khan expressed elation at defeating Australia, stating, "It's a significant victory for our team and country. Overcoming Australia brings immense joy. It's an achievement we missed in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2022 World Cup in Australia," Rashid remarked.
Rashid believed their score of 148 would challenge Australia's batting. He explained, "We considered 140 a competitive score on this surface. Our batting didn't finish strongly, but it's easy to struggle on this pitch, and we did at the end. Nonetheless, the opening partnership's efforts set a defendable total. We knew we could defend it if we remained composed. Gulbadin's bowling, bolstered by his experience, was instrumental today. It was a commendable team effort."
On the other hand, Australia's captain Mitchell Marsh acknowledged being outplayed, noting that Afghanistan scored 20 too many. However, he seemed ready for the next challenge against the strong Indian team.
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