Australia fall to shock defeat by Afghanistan at T20 World Cup – as it happened
T20 World Cup campaign had been purring along until Afghanistan pulled out a stunning all-round performance that clinched their first win over their bogey side in World Cups.
The shock result leaves all four teams in group 1 with varying degrees of hope of progressing to the semi-finals.
Australia will have to beat India to boost their own chances while needing to be wary of their net run-rate with Afghanistan also able to finish on two victories when they face Bangladesh.
Even winless Bangladesh can still qualify for the knockout stages, if they thump Afghanistan and India do much the same to Australia.
All that is to come, but for now here is the full report of Afghanistan’s 21-run victory over Australia:
T20 World Cup hopes alive with a surprise win over Australia.
“It’s a massive win for us as a team and a nation. Beating Australia is a great feeling, it is something we missed out on in the 2023 ODI World Cup and also the 2022 World Cup in Australia.”
T20 World Cup hopes alive with a pulsating 21-run victory over the previously undefeated Australia.
Afghanistan’s openers Gurbaz and Ibrahim set up the shock win with a century partnership as their side went on to compile 148-6 after being sent in to bat.
Pat Cummins took a hat-trick for a second time in two matches but Australia paid the price for some sloppy fielding including a host of missed catches.
The 2021 champions would still have been confident of chasing down their target, at least until losing three wickets before they were out of the powerplay.
Glenn Maxwell has broken Afghanistan hearts in World Cups a couple of times before, and threatened to do the same again until dismissed for 59.
Gulbadin Naib finished with 4-20 and a player of the match award, while Naveen-ul-Haq claimed 3-20 as Australia were skittled for 127 in their last over to leave their T20 World Cup campaign on the ropes.
“Thanks to dear Allah,” Naib said. “We’ve waited for a long time [to beat Australia]. Big moment for our nation and our people.”
Here are the match highlights:
T20 World Cup. Maxwell sends Afghanistan yet another reminder of the threat that he poses with a pull shot for four that makes it six from the over even though it was a high-quality one from Naib.
The drinks break has been the undoing of another partnership and this time it is Marcus Stoinis who is on his way. Naib digs in a shorter ball and Stoinis can only get a top edge, three Afghanistan fielders racing to get underneath it but it is rightly the keeper Gurbaz that takes it with the gloves.
10th over: Australia 70-3 (Maxwell 31, Stoinis 11) That’s drinks and the match could hardly be more evenly poised! Rashid Khan hasn’t quite got his line right as Australia easily pick up more ones and twos, while Maxwell doesn’t need much room to slice a ball that pitches outside leg through cover for four.
9th over: Australia 61-3 (Maxwell 24, Stoinis 9) After a horrible loosener that flies down leg for five wides, Noor Ahmad throws the next ball up and almost finds the breakthrough. Stoinis gets onto one knee but this time completely misses the ball, Afghanistan appealing hard then sending it for a review which quickly confirms that it pitched outside off. Stoinis doesn’t let two of those get away, sending the next fuller delivery racing away with a sweep.
8th over: Australia 50-3 (Maxwell 23, Stoinis 4) Rashid Khan comes into the attack for the first time with Afghanistan desperate to stop at least one of Australia’s power-hitters before they make their mark. Rashid gets the ball to grip from the start but it is too much to find Stoinis’ bat, then crashes the next one into the front pad for an overly-exuberant lbw appeal that is waved away.
7th over: Australia 46-3 (Maxwell 22, Stoinis 3) Afghanistan might feel like they have already seen this movie before, as Australia need to rebuild their innings but Glenn Maxwell somehow continues to find runs. He starts with a reverse sweep for four, taking the ball away from off middle stump. Maxwell then ends the over with a blast from the not so distant past, bending down onto one knee to slog a six over midwicket. Maxwell couldn’t do it again, could he?
6th over: Australia 33-3 (Maxwell 11, Stoinis 1) Afghanistan have continued with their pace attack to devastating effect, but finally turn to spin in the final over of the powerplay. Nabi picks up Warner and Marcus Stoinis comes to the crease, the all-rounder given a rousing reception from the Afghanistan fielders who clearly remember his antics with the ball.
Australia are in trouble now as David Warner tries to get his innings moving after only scoring three runs from seven balls, but sweeps at a delivery that was too wide of off-stump and catches a top edge.
5th over: Australia 32-2 (Warner 3, Maxwell 11) Maxwell is showing signs that he could be about to return to haunt Afghanistan as Australia look to rebuild their innings. The right-handed dynamo flicks a boundary down the leg-side, then punishes a fuller delivery with a swipe to square leg for another four.
4th over: Australia 23-2 (Warner 3, Maxwell 3) Australia are looking to find their way back into the contest now as the experienced pair pick up ones and twos without taking any risks.
3rd over: Australia 18-2 (Warner 1, Maxwell 0) Naveen-ul-Haq has two wickets with Head and Marsh already back in the sheds. The Australia skipper had raced to 12 runs from seven balls with a sublime cover drive to the boundary but in a snapshot of his tournament so far was out a couple of balls later. That brings Afghanistan’s chief tormenter Glenn Maxwell to the crease but they will like where they stand at the moment with Australia already two down.
The Australia captain was just getting going but has now given his wicket away. Marsh fails to pick up a leg-cutter and is through his drive too early as he skies it to mid-off.
2nd over: Australia 12-1 (Warner 0, Marsh 8) Fazalhaq Farooqi has the most wickets in the tournament but Mitch Marsh looks comfortable against him. A loosener down the leg-side touches only a pad on the way to the boundary, then the Australia skipper dispatches an in-swinger straight down the ground for four. Plenty of swing for Farooqi might worry Australia though.
1st over: Australia 1-1 (Warner 0, Marsh 1) Naveen-ul-Haq gets the early breakthrough and it is dangerman Travis Head that is on his way after taking just two balls to read the conditions then disregard anything that he had learned. The Afghanistan quick is moving the ball in the air and off the pitch for a superb start.
It is an absolute cracker from Naveen-ul-Haq as he gives Afghanistan the ideal start. Head opened up his front leg at a straight one but the left-hander was in all sorts as soon as the ball started to drift away. Middle stump is skittled and Australia are 0-1.
Travis Head will face the first ball with David Warner at the non-striker’s end and Naveen-ul-Haq at the top of his run up.
Australia let Afghanistan off the hook there with some sloppy fielding, but they might be happy to only be chasing 149 after Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran’s opening stand passed 100.
Afghanistan finish on 148-6 as Pat Cummins takes two early wickets for another hat-trick, then almost claims another scalp with the very next ball. David Warner of all fielders was the one to grass this chance, charging in from deep point after Nangeyalia Kharote skied a cut. It was a tough one though after Warner can’t quite make up enough ground, and only got fingertips to the ball. Nabi finishes the innings with a slog four to cow corner as Afghanistan set the highly-fancied Australia a competitive total to chase.
Cummins makes it a hat-trick in back-to-back matches and just like the first time around this has coming across two overs.
Gulbadin Naib slogs his first ball straight to Glenn Maxwell and Cummins this time seems very well aware of what the wicket means.
Source: theguardian.com
