Aus vs Afg T20 2024: Afghanistan Outplay Aussies

2024/06/24

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The Aus vs Afg T20 2024 report was full of excitement, drama, and intensity because Afghanistan's brilliance undid a heavyweight side like Australia.

With their unwavering determination, Rashid’s men outclassed Australia and stayed alive for the semis.

Aus vs Afg T20 2024: Afghanistan Outplay Aussies To Stay Alive In World Cup

Aus vs Afg T20 2024 was played on Saturday, June 22nd, at Kingstown, St Vincent. With a keen understanding of the pitch conditions, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field first on a surface offering a lot for the spinners. The ball held onto it.

Afghanistan has done a remarkable job by beating the Kangaroos, and it should not be considered an upset because they have improved their cricket in the T20 format massively over the last two or three years.

Keeping the three spinners of Afghanistan in mind, it was not a wise decision to field first.

Aus vs Afg T20 2024: Openers Set The Platform For Afghanistan

The opening duo of Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran looked to dominate right from the word go, and they put up an excellent partnership of 118 runs for the first wicket on a reasonably challenging surface.

Rashid Khan and co knew that a loss here would put them at the exit door of a tournament, and Afghanistan, who takes great pride in the game and is passionate about it, wanted to do something special. The openers set the platform for them.

Both scored scintillating half-centuries at the top before getting knocked out.

The Aussies made up a brilliant comeback in the last five overs because, at one stage, it all looked to be a 170 kind of a score, but thanks to Pat Cummins, who bowled superbly at the death.

The Aussies only conceded 30 runs in the last five overs and got things back on track.

No one other than the openers from the Afghanistan side stood for the team to carry the momentum.

They scored 148, expected to be a good score, and Afghanistan could quickly bring their spinners into the game.

Players With An Impactful Contributions

The following Aus vs Afg T20 2024 players played an essential part in the game and contributed to their team's success.

Gulbadin Naib

Naib's exceptional bowling performance was a game-changer for Afghanistan, earning him the Player of the Match award.

He bowled a four-over spell and conceded only 20 runs with four enormous wickets in the game. When he was introduced by Rashid Khan, the game was hanging in the balance, with Australia 70 odd for 3 in 10 overs.

The right arm quick got the opportunity to flex his muscles by outfoxing Marcus Stoinis, who was already in unrealistic batting form.

He perished Glenn Maxwell, who had done miraculous things against them in the past. The last nail in the coffin was the dismissal of Tim Dawid, who was caught in front of the stumps.

These three dismissals put an excellent stop to the progress of Aussies in the run chase. They never had the answer to recover after that, and because of his impactful performance, he was entitled to the Man of the Match award.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz

A lot of credit goes to the openers of Afghanistan, who set the platform for an ideal finish, which unfortunately didn't happen.

Gurbaz was clear from the start. He played some astonishing shots against Cummins and Hazelwood, putting Australia in trouble.

As discussed, the wicket was not easy to bat on, but his 60 from 49 balls played an integral part in helping his side reach a score that they would surely give a fight.

The daring approach of Afghan batters is so fascinating to see, and it also depicts the growth they have made in the shorter format in the last few years.

They have the bowlers, especially the spinners, who can make life hell for any batter. They need more consistency in their batter's approach to make them formidable in all three formats.

Match Report: How Australia Bottled The Chase

The Afghanistan vs Australia match report needed a run chase for the Aussies that would have confirmed their semi-final spot.

Chasing a score like 149 can be tricky sometimes, especially when the opposition team is as enthusiastic and determined as Afghanistan.

Defending a small score, they were bang on target straight away. Travis Head was exposed by the perfect outswinger from Naveen Ul Haq on the third ball of the innings, which shattered his stumps.

Australia lost three early wickets for a mere 32 runs and looked in a struggling position.

Rashid Khan and his men were pumped by their start, which was very similar to what they had hoped for. On the other hand, Maxwell came to bat at no four and it is known that he does something unrealistic every time he faces Afghanistan.

Everyone remembers his heroics when the right-hander won the game for his side from an impossible position with cramps in CWC 2023.

The moment Maxwell started playing some shots, he looked threatening and took on their bowlers, keeping Australia in the hunt.

Gulbadin's brilliance ended Maxwell's innings, which included 59 from 41 balls; otherwise, the game would have been out of their hands.

After his dismissal, no one stood for Australia, and they kept losing wickets. The game started to drift apart from their reach, and eventually lost it by 21 runs.

The Aussies' defeat has significantly altered the group dynamics, with all four teams now having a chance to qualify for the next round.

Afghanistan must win their last encounter against Bangladesh and pray that India defeats Australia in their last group game.

The stage is open for all sides, and there are exciting days ahead. The beauty of the shorter format is that it reduces the gap between two sides, and everyone can play competitive cricket and beat any other side.