Afghanistan was given a much-needed victory that propelled them toward semi-final qualification at this tournament.
It was the first time ever that the country defeated one of its top eight full members.
Gulbadin Naib took an excellent four-wicket haul to stun Australia at Kingstown Stadium. Even with Glenn Maxwell’s brilliant bating display, Australia were fully defeated.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or high lights of Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline.
Afghanistan vs Australia
Afghanistan made history against Australia at the T20 World Cup when they outwitted one of cricket’s pre-tournament favourites to record one of its most celebrated victories ever. Bowlers from Afghanistan performed brilliantly to stop Australia scoring runs, taking wicket after wicket with their bowling. Although Australia lost hope of reaching the semi-finals after this result, they still have one match left against Bangladesh that they could use as leverage to remain in contention for reaching the last four with victory.
Australian’s innings was in disarray from its inception, with both openers succumbing quickly. Afghani captain Naveen-ul-Haq struck early and Travis Head was quickly gone for just 8. Mitch Marsh also fell cheaply as did veteran Glenn Maxwell; Afghanistan then surged ahead, reaching 148-6 with help from some poor Australian fielding practices.
Pat Cummins became the first player ever to notch a T20 hat-trick ever, and Australia never really recovered from his performance. Had David Warner caught him cleanly off the first ball of the 20th over, Cummins could have finished with four wickets; he nearly had another but Gulbadin Naib narrowly prevented it on their final ball of their innings.
Australia’s batsmen struggled against Afghanistan’s pace attack led by Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. Australia were reduced to 35-3 in the eighth over due to Afghanistan’s pace attack with both Nabi and Khan taking two wickets each in this over. Marcus Stoinis attempted to restart Australia’s innings, but missed an easy six off a short delivery and was caught at midwicket by Gulbadin Naib. Adam Zampa also failed miserably by hole outing to Naib at long on as its collapse accelerated further. Afghanistan secured an unlikely win when Azmatullah Omarzai struck a blow against Zampa that flew straight to Nabi at long on for four runs, becoming the first team since 2007 to beat Australia in a T20 match. Afghanistan celebrated this victory after beating Australia!
T20I
Afghanistan made headlines across the sporting world on Saturday when they staged one of the greatest upsets ever seen at any World Cup tournament, toppling pre-tournament favorites Australia to advance to the semifinals and advance their own journey into World Cup play-offs. Afghanistan had endured violence and political unrest following Taliban takeover in 2021, so defeating such a formidable team was an extraordinary victory that gave tremendous impetus for further victory at this World Cup tournament. It represented their first-ever win against one of these top dynasty teams and provided tremendous momentum and optimism going into next tournament play-offs and quarterfinals play-offs!
The battle with Australia was an intense contest that showcased both sides’ strengths and weaknesses. Although Australia’s experience and consistency proved too much for Afghanistan, their spirited performance shows their growth potential for future encounters.
After winning the toss and opting to field, Afghanistan successfully limited Australia to just 148 runs in their 20 overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran started off strongly with a 118-run opening stand before off-spinner Mohammad Nabi and leg-spinner Rashid Khan kept them within striking distance with tight spin bowling performances.
Australia found it difficult to cope with the pressure put upon their batsmen and fielding errors that were uncharacteristic of them were detrimental. Australia captain Mitchell Marsh acknowledged his side were outplayed by an organized Afghan side.
Afghan bowlers were well supported by their batsmen, who held their nerve and scored regularly. Mohammad Nabi and Karim Janat were especially instrumental in scoring runs during this run-chase; with Azmatullah Omarzai filling out their lineup to form an unstoppable one-two punch.
Australia was slow to establish their rhythm when they replied, taking nearly two overs before scoring their first run. Their innings was then crippled by Pat Cummins who took three wickets in two overs to leave Australia reeling – including Rohit Sharma, Glenn Maxwell and Karim Janat in the 20th over (Mr Warner missed his chance for a hat-trick by inches!) This victory for Afghanistan will serve them well ahead of their match with Bangladesh later on this month.
ODI
Afghanistan and Australia met in a riveting contest. Afghanistan demonstrated their potential on an international stage by their performance at the ICC T20 World Cup; Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi played pivotal roles with their excellent bowling and batting abilities; whilst Australia relied on Pat Cummins’ accuracy and David Warner’s experience to lead them.
Afghanistan needed a win to remain alive in the tournament, and they delivered in style. From the outset, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai fought hard against difficult conditions to put on an opening stand of 118 runs in difficult conditions. Australia bowlers managed to keep wickets under control while restricting Afghanistan’s run rate.
Though they had an impressive start, Afghanistan batsmen found it hard to sustain their momentum during the second half. As such, they were eventually dismissed for just 149 runs, far below what had been envisioned when setting themselves. Meanwhile, Australia failed to create an uninterrupted partnership as Maxwell struggled compared with last time out.
Afghanistan will face India next, and any loss would all but guarantee their exit from the tournament. Conversely, victory would increase Afghanistan’s odds of making the semi-finals.
Australia has long dominated encounters between these teams. But with Afghanistan’s increasing strength and improved performance, their future looks bright.
This match between two ODI heavyweights was highly anticipated. Both teams are looking to improve their positions in the rankings and qualify for next month’s Champions Trophy tournament in Dubai, featuring some of the finest players around. The outcome will be pivotal in deciding who makes it through to the final. It is an enormous momentous for both sides; should one emerge victorious they will join one of only six ODI teams worldwide.
Test
Afghanistan may be outnumbered by Australia in terms of team strength, but they still stand a good chance at making an impressionful show during their upcoming Test match at Sherzai Cricket Stadium in Jalalabad. Should Afghanistan perform well enough during this important fixture that will determine who wins their group and secures them a spot in the quarter-finals of competition, an upset may happen!
Etisalat Telecommunications Company of UAE has become an essential sponsor of Afghanistan cricket team and will serve as title sponsor for division 2 inter-provincial challenge cup this year. Furthermore, Etisalat will sponsor the Etisalat Sixes T20 Tournament which serves as part of ICC Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers tournament qualifiers qualifiers tournament qualifiers tournament qualifying stage qualifiers tournament qualification process qualifiers process in 2017/18 season qualifiers ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers qualification competition tournament qualifier process this year and acts as one of main sponsors with significant funding sources provided through them telecommunications company which are an essential source.
As the team’s popularity grew, it became clear that full-scale sponsorship would be necessary to improve the quality of national squad and support their international ambitions. Etisalat came through and provided significant amounts of money that enabled the team to achieve its goals.
As a result, Afghan cricket team quality has dramatically increased over the years, which is an encouraging sign that its future in Afghanistan looks positive. Furthermore, new sponsorship has helped foster interest in women’s cricket within Afghanistan.
At the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan’s Blue Tigers proved a forceful contender, beating Pakistan and England to reach the semi-finals while nearly knocking Australia out of competition. Their success inspired celebrations on Kabul streets as fans danced for joy despite Taliban regulations or had their heads shaved to show solidarity with their cricketers.
Australia was undone by their poor fielding against Afghanistan, who won their maiden T20I match emphatically. Pat Cummins claimed three wickets in two overs but missed his chance with one wicket to go but David Warner’s drop at deep cover prevented a possible hat-trick attempt from being achieved.
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