164/7 (20.0)
CR : 8.20
168/8 (20.0)
CR : 8.40
Australia won by 4 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Glenn Maxwell
54(32)
19.5
2
M Stoinis to R Khan
Fuller length outside the off. Rashid swings with all his might and gets it off the bottom half of the bat. In the air for ages and falls right in between long-on and long-off for a couple.
19.6
4
M Stoinis to R Khan
FOURR!! Although Afghanistan slip in the run chase by 4 runs, Rashid Khan has given Australia a run for their money! Short and outside the off. Rashid Khan swings across the line as he drags the pull in the air and to the right of the fielder at deep square leg. One bounce and over the fence for a four to finish the match!
Over 20
Afghanistan 164/7
Rashid Khan48(23)
Naveen ul Haq0(0)
Marcus Stoinis0-26(2.0)
AUS won by 4 runs
5:06 PM IST | Another nail-biter and an upset was almost on the cards. Afghanistan had fought so so valiantly in the game and in the end, was just 5 runs short of the target. Australia will breathe a bit of relief as they have added two points in the bag and will hope for Sri Lanka to beat England tomorrow at the SCG. With this, Sri Lanka's chances for the semi-finals evaporate and England will have the equation in front of them for qualification.
It has to be Glenn Maxwell's terrific knock and the 14th over bowled by Adam Zampa which had played the major turnaround in this scintillating encounter.
It has to be Glenn Maxwell's terrific knock and the 14th over bowled by Adam Zampa which had played the major turnaround in this scintillating encounter.
Previously, Afghanistan had won the toss and opted to field first. Australia had no other choice but to go with an attacking approach from the start. David Warner gave a good start to Australia smashing fours in Quicktime but his partner Cameron Green failed to notch up a good innings this day. Soon, Warner departed in the last over of the powerplay and Mitch Marsh played the anchoring innings.
Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis glued a mini partnership in the middle and later it was Glenn Maxwell who took Australia to a commendable total on the back of an unbridled 54 runs from 32 balls. Australia lost wickets at the toe end of the innings and ended up at 168-8 after 20 innings. Mitch Marsh was the next best scorer for Australia after Glenn Maxwell with 46 runs from 30 balls.
In reply, Afghanistan lost Usman Ghani early and Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked to some dynamic shots with hard hands. He scored 30 runs off 17 balls and just like Australia, Afghanistan also lost two wickets inside the powerplay.
Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib glued 59 runs together for the third wicket and did take Afghanistan to a good position. Soon, Adam Zampa spelled some cob in the 14th over to extract three wickets. A runout and two wickets in the over, followed by a wicket from Josh Hazlewood in the space of 9 balls changed the course of the game in favor of Australia.
Afghanistan were 120-6 after the 17th over and they needed 49 runs from the last 18 balls. Rashid Khan was at the crease and turned it up at his Big Bash League (BBL) home ground. He smacked a couple of sixes at the cue end if the game against Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, and Marcus Stoinis and gave a real scare to the Aussies. In the end, Marcus Stoinis defended 22 runs in the last over and somehow took Australia past the finishing line.
While New Zealand go through to the semifinals, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Afghanistan bow out of the tournament. If England wins tomorrow, then they are through else it will be Australia who will play the semis.
Glenn Maxwell (Player of the Match): "Yes, it certainly did. Afghanistan played really well. But we did well in the end to get two points. They started well, and in the back end, a few clean hits by them gave us a big scare. Yes, it was slipping a bit, and the dew was coming, so doing well in the field gives me good confidence. It was a nice effort. Yeah, we have put ourselves into this situation, and now we have to sit and watch the next game. We have nothing more than hoping a Sri Lankan win tomorrow and hope that they do the job for us."
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan Captain): "Ahh, yes, it was a really good name. Australia started off really well, but Naveen bowled well to pull things back at the end of the innings. And it wasn't a huge total on this pitch. We threw our wickets away in the middle overs, and we lost them back-to-back to put ourselves under pressure. When you play your first game and then play the next game after 10 days, you really don't have the momentum. But we have played good cricket and have improved every game, and yeah, today it was a fantastic game."
Matthew Wade (Australia Captain): "Yeah, okay, four overs out, brought our bowlers forward, and gave Stoinis the last one. It was a bit nerve-wracking at the end but I've seen Rashid do that plenty of times in the IPL. Yeah, we will be staying here and will be hoping for an upset actually.
We have been a little bit slow out of the blocks at some point. Hopefully, we make it. Yeah, we are very hopeful that they [Aaron Finch and Tim David] will make it if we come up through. David was very very close in the fitness test. Cheers, Thanks."
We have been a little bit slow out of the blocks at some point. Hopefully, we make it. Yeah, we are very hopeful that they [Aaron Finch and Tim David] will make it if we come up through. David was very very close in the fitness test. Cheers, Thanks."
So with that, the defending champions are yet to ensure their tickets for the knockouts. They does have the points to make it through but will have to rely on Sri Lanka.
All the eyes will be on tomorrow's enthralling fixture where Sri Lanka plays against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tournament has come at a very gripping juncture where each match holds a lot of stakes. For regular updates stay tuned to the OneCricket network. Until then, signing off, Arijit Kundu alongside co-commentator AkshayaKrishna Polya and scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer.
All the eyes will be on tomorrow's enthralling fixture where Sri Lanka plays against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tournament has come at a very gripping juncture where each match holds a lot of stakes. For regular updates stay tuned to the OneCricket network. Until then, signing off, Arijit Kundu alongside co-commentator AkshayaKrishna Polya and scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer.