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ICC Men's T20 WC'24: Afghanistan Clinches Historic First Win Against Australia
After Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran's opening partnership of 118, Afghanistan achieved a stunning 21-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup Super Eight match at Arnos Vale Ground. Gulbadin Naib's four-wicket haul played a pivotal role in Afghanistan's historic win, marking their first-ever victory over the formidable cricketing powerhouse. This victory halted Australia's impressive unbeaten streak at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, setting up a closely contested race with both teams vying to advance alongside India in the next phase of the tournament.
Mitchell Marsh, Australia's captain, won the toss and chose to field first, a decision that could have ultimately backfired. Afghanistan's opening duo, Gurbaz and Zadran, put together a commanding partnership of 118 runs from 95 balls, guiding their team to a total of 148/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Defending this target, Gulbadin (4-20) and Naveen-ul-haq (3-20) wreaked havoc on Australia's batting lineup, dismissing them for 127 runs in 19.2 overs. This comprehensive performance secured Afghanistan's maiden victory over the formidable Australian side.
The Afghans executed their plan perfectly from the start, with the openers Gurbaaz and Zadran staying patient and precise during the Powerplay. With a mix of dots and boundaries, they avoided losing wickets. Six boundaries helped them reach 40/0 in the first six overs. By the mid-point, Afghanistan was 64 for no loss. On a pitch favouring spinners, Agar and Adam Zampa were attacked during the middle overs. Zampa's expensive 13th over included two boundaries, a misfield, a close LBW shout, and a missed stumping by Matthew Wade.
Gurbaz reached his 50 in the 15th over and then Zadran did the same five balls later. Marcus Stoinis delivered Australia’s long-awaited breakthrough scalp when he removed Gurbaaz in the 16th over, breaking the deadly-looking 118-run partnership and turning the tide. Then, Zampa took two wickets in the next over, including the crucial dismissal of Zadran, quickly leaving Afghanistan three down. The 18th over also favoured Australia, with Pat Cummins conceding just four runs and taking the wicket of Rashid Khan.
After achieving an unlikely hat-trick against Bangladesh, Cummins pulled off a second consecutive hat-trick after dismissing Karim Janat and Gulbadin in the 19th over finishing with figures of 3-28. The Aussies dropped several catches and leaked runs, making their defense costly and leaving much work for their batting. In a fierce battle, Afghanistan posted a par score of 148/6 in 20 overs, reports ICC.
Chasing 149, Australia suffered an early blow with Naveen dismissing opener Travis Head on the third delivery. He then did it again in his second over, removing Mitchell Marsh with a slower ball, piling pressure on Australia. Then, Glenn Maxwell came to the crease and hit two calming boundaries in the fifth over, but David Warner's wicket gave Afghanistan the upper hand. By the end of the Powerplay, Australia was struggling at 33/3.
As Afghanistan's hopes began to fade, Gulbadin Naib rose to the occasion, luring Maxwell into edging a delivery just outside off stump, which was brilliantly caught by Noor Ahmad behind point. With Wade also dismissed shortly after, Australia found themselves at 108/7, needing 41 runs from 29 balls. The responsibility fell on hat-trick hero Cummins, but he couldn't maintain his earlier success, missing the ball and leaving Australia in a challenging position with three overs left and 36 runs still required.
Afghanistan's outstanding fielding transformed every chance into a wicket, leaving a significant impact. Zampa's dismissal signaled the end of Australia's innings at 127, falling 22 runs shy of victory. This historic achievement represents Afghanistan's inaugural triumph over Australia, marking a memorable milestone for the team.
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