Afghanistan's Domination Over AUS Leads To New WC 2023 Semi-Final Scenario

image-loofybdkAfghanistan players celebrating an AUS wicket at the 2023 World Cup (x.com)

An insurgent Afghanistan unit took field against Australia’s unstoppable juggernaut at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 7. The high-profile showdown, marking the penultimate league fixture for both sides in the ongoing 2023 World Cup, saw a spirited Afghan batting line-up chart a competitive 291-6 upfront after they had won the toss and opted to bat first. 

Remarkably, the Afghan bowlers later complemented their batter’s effort by jolting Australia early in the run-chase. The likes of Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai both struck twice with the new-ball inside the opening powerplay, as Australia finished their first 10 overs at 52-4.

Afghanistan presented with a new scenario

As it turned out, Afghanistan can storm their way to top four on the World Cup 2023 points table if they manage to keep Australia below 133 in their run-chase.

If Australia loses the contest by 158 or more runs, their NRR will drop below New Zealand, while Afghanistan’s NRR will rise above Pakistan.

With tournament hosts India and in-form South Africa having already qualified for the semi-finals, the fight for the final two knockout slots will be boiled between Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and defending champions England, on the other hand, were eliminated from the top four race earlier in the tournament.

At the time of publishing, Australia reached 101-7 from 22 overs, facing a potential danger of having their five-match unbeaten run snapped by Hashmatullah Shahidi-led Afghanistan side.