T20 World Cup: Live coverage of Australia’s super-eights clash with Afghanistan
Australia will have to get to the T20 World Cup semifinals the hard way after a remarkable upset at the hands of Afghanistan.
Recap the events of the stunning upset below.
After 4 overs - Australia 2-23
It’s tough out there! And the spinners haven’t even been called into action yet...
Maxwell is battling to put bat on ball as Farooqi keeps it tight. 5 off the over, required rate nudging up to 7.9...
After 3 overs - Australia 2-18
Maxwell is at the crease, and memories of his amazing salvage job against this same opponent from last year’s 50-over World Cup come flooding back.
Warner - who is 1 from 4 - has a big job to do at the other end now too. Can he anchor the innings like Afghanistan’s openers did so effectively?
MARSH GOES
The skipper departs!
Marsh tries to belt a slower one but mistimes it horribly, and Nabi takes the catch!
Naveen has 2-5 and the Aussies are in a spot of bother in this chase of 149. It’s 2-16 after 2.3.
After 2 overs - Australia 1-12
Marsh aggressive from the get-go here.
He clips four leg byes to the boundary before a brutal straight drive that races wide of mid-off.
Australia’s required rate is a tick over 7.5.
HEAD GOES!
The chase has started... and Travis Head’s innings has ended!
He misses a peach first-up from Naveen Ul-Haq, and two balls later, he’s clean bowled by a searing outswinger that clatters into middle and leg.
What a start for Afghanistan! Captain Marsh to the crease at 1-0
FIRST INNINGS: AFGHANISTAN 6-148
Afganistan’s innings is all done.
Matt Wade let an inside-edge off a Cummins cutter go through his legs and away for two runs and then Mohammed Nabi is able to drag one away to the boundary off the final delivery.
This is a tricky chase for Australia on a wicket that is ragging and with Afghanistan’s suite of spin options.
The highest-ever score in T20 internationals at this ground is the 159 Bangladesh scored earlier in this tournament - so 148 is not an insignificant figure.
A reminder, Australia go through if they win!
DROPPED!
David Warner has dropped Kharote in the outfield and Pat Cummins’ crack at a rare double-hat-trick has gone down with it.
Afghanistan get through for one.
They’re 6-142.
Another hatty for Patty!
Hat-tricks in back-to-back games for Pat Cummins!
Gulbadin played an almost identical shot to Janat and pulls out from outside off, into the hands of a boundary-rider on the leg-side.
Cummins got Rashid in the deep with the final ball of his previous over - and it comes after his split-over hat-trick against Bangladesh just two days ago.
He’s done some serious work pulling this back in.
Another catch for David
He’s had the safest hands in the outfield for Australia!
Janat heaved one to long-on and David takes it easily.
Afghanistan 5-141.
One over left: Afghanistan 4-141
One over to go and 150 still on the cards.
That over included an extremely fortunate six that was intended to go legside, but goes to deep third.
Cummins to close out the innings.
