- Australia thumped by Afghanistan in shock T20 World Cup loss
- It was Australia’s first loss to the nation as marketing campaign is in tatters
- Australia’s subsequent conflict towards India has develop into a must-win sport
Australia have suffered a shock 21-run loss to Afghanistan that throws their semi-final hopes into jeopardy on the Twenty20 World Cup.
Australia’s first-ever loss to Afghanistan got here after openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (60 off 49 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (51 off 48) defied a fiendish St Vincent wicket for a 118-run stand – the most important opening partnership ever recorded towards Australia in T20s.
Along with his second hat-trick in as many video games, in-form fast Pat Cummins (3-28) helped Australia claw again and limit Afghanistan to 6-148 on Sunday (AEST).
However chasing 149, Australia had been bamboozled by the powerful circumstances, falling to 3-32 late within the powerplay because the Afghan quicks started a dominant keep on the crease.
Australia have suffered a shock 21-run loss to Afghanistan within the T20 World Cup
It was Australia’s first-ever loss to Afghanistan within the sport throughout all codecs
Glenn Maxwell (59 off 41) performed himself again into kind with the bat and threatened to reprise his function as Afghanistan’s bogeyman, following a double-century on the ODI World Cup final 12 months.
However Afghanistan might odor victory when the allrounder clipped player-of-the-match Gulbadin Naib (4-20) to backward level, the place Noor Ahmad took a troublesome probability within the fifteenth over.
Australia had been all out for 127 within the remaining over, left to rue some sloppy fielding and a sluggish begin with the bat.
The loss means Australia could depend on internet run-rate to make the ultimate 4 even when they’re able to beat India of their final Tremendous Eight sport on Tuesday (AEST).
Afghanistan’s historic victory retains their very own hopes of a fairytale semi-final berth alive forward of their third Tremendous Eight match towards Bangladesh.
After successful the toss, Australia dropped 5 possibilities within the subject, the primary two coming through the blistering opening stand.
As Gurbaz and Zadran wreaked havoc, Matthew Wade missed a straightforward alternative for a stumping and Australia twice leaked fours following misfields from Ashton Agar – referred to as in for Mitch Starc.
After dropping an earlier probability, Marcus Stoinis (1-19) had a long-overdue breakthrough when Gurbaz picked out David Warner at deep backward sq. leg.
The Aussies will rue some sloppy fielding and a sluggish begin with the bat
The defeat means Australia could depend on internet run-rate to make the ultimate 4 even when they’re able to beat India of their subsequent match
When that scalp ultimately got here – within the sixteenth over – it was the longest Australia had gone in a T20I with out taking a wicket.
Australia’s finest two front-line bowlers this match, Adam Zampa (2-28) and Cummins ensured Afghanistan’s batting order by no means clicked again into gear as soon as the opening partnership was damaged.
Cummins grew to become the primary participant to take hat-tricks in consecutive T20 video games when Gulbadin (0) pulled him to Maxwell at deep midwicket within the remaining over.
He might’ve had one other scalp off the following ball had the normally dependable Warner held onto Nangeyalia Kharote at deep level.
Naveen-ul-Haq (3-20) vindicated the choice to begin Afghanistan’s innings with tempo, swinging the ball into Travis Head’s center stump on the third ball of the night time.
The losses of Head (0) and Mitch Marsh (12) inside three overs raised the alarm, and Australia had been formally in panic mode when Afghanistan injected spin for the primary time.
David Warner (three) skied Mohammad Nabi (1-1) to brief high-quality leg on the off-spinner’s first supply and set the stage for Maxwell to hang-out Afghanistan once more.
However when the allrounder’s gutsy knock got here to an finish, Australia had been into the bowlers and limping to the end at 6-106.
With Australia requiring 24 runs from the ultimate over, Azmatullah Omarzai sealed victory when Zampa hit him to Nabi at lengthy on with 4 balls left.
