Australia stay alive with narrow win over Afghanistan

Australia kept themselves alive in the 2022 T20 World Cup with a slim four-run victory over Afghanistan in their final Super 12 game of the tournament in Adelaide on Friday. Glenn Maxwell starred for Aaron Finch’s side with an incredible half-century in the first innings before the hosts withstood an outstanding late charge from Rashid Khan to emerge victorious at the Adelaide Oval.

This win temporarily takes Australia into the two qualification spots in Group 1, but Aaron Finch’s side will need Sri Lanka to beat England in their final Super 12 fixture to guarantee their passage to the semi-finals.

The defending champions made three changes for this encounter, with the injured duo of Aaron Finch and Tim David replaced by Cameron Green and Steve Smith, while Mitchell Starc was also surprisingly left out for Kane Richardson. Playing in their first game of the tournament, neither Smith nor Green could make their mark with the bat, as both newcomers were dismissed for single figures in the powerplay.

David Warner got off to a flying start as he took on Mujeeb Ur Rahman early on but was undone by a slower ball from Naveen ul-Haq in the 6th over, leaving Australia in trouble at 52 for three at the end of the powerplay. Needing to post a big total to increase their net run rate, Australia continued to take the attack to Afghanistan. Mitchell Marsh played a stroke-filled 30-ball 45 that added some impetus through the middle before Glenn Maxwell took over at the back half of the innings.

The all-rounder went after the Afghanistan spinners – Nabi, Mujeeb, and Rashid Khan – and scored his first half-century of the tournament in just 29 deliveries. Unfortunately for Australia, Maxwell received no help from the rest of the batting order as the hosts managed just 25 runs from their last 24 deliveries.

Chasing 169, Afghanistan got off to a solid start to their innings with Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring 30 off 17 in the powerplay before Gulbadin Naib furthered that momentum through the middle overs. After smashing Cameron Green for an 85-metre six over cow corner, Naib creamed 17 runs in the 12th over from Kane Richardson to put Afghanistan in pole position in the chase at 96 for two.

However, just as Australia started to lose control, Glenn Maxwell produced a scintillating direct hit from the boundary to run out Naib, triggering a collapse for Afghanistan as they slumped from 99 for two to 103 for six. Afghanistan needed a miracle to win the game from that point onwards, and they almost got one from the bat of Rashid Khan. The all-rounder smashed a career-high T20I score of 48* from 23 that included four sixes and three fours and took the game down to the wire, with Australia just holding on by four runs.