ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Australia vs Afghanistan Match Summary
Australia vs Afghanistan Match Summary: Australia has cruised to an easy victory in their first match of the World Cup 2019 against Afghanistan on Saturday. The inclusion of Steven Smith and David Warner has certainly bolstered Australia’s dearth in confidence.
Chasing a low total of 207 runs, Aaron Finch went after Mujeeb right at the start of the innings, hitting him for two consecutive fours in only his first over, followed by a six and a four in his next. David Warner, on the other hand, took his time in the middle, while playing as a second fiddle to Aaron.
The one who was being questioned for his place in the side months ago, Aaron Finch has come out on top just at the right time, as he struck his first half-century of the World Cup, notching up a 49-ball 66 run innings, including six fours and four sixes.
David Warner too made a rollicking comeback with his 89-run knock off 114 balls. The Southpaw took his time at the start and slowly consolidated through his innings. He might have used a lot of deliveries but the intent was there. Warner was timing the ball beautifully even as was loud with his calling between the wickets.
Australia though lost three wickets in the chase but was an easy win for them as they earn 2 points to sit fourth in the table.
Afghanistan didn’t have the best of the starts, having lost their mainstays like Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai early in the innings. Starc cleaned up the Afghanistan keeper only in the first over of the match, while Cummins accounted for Zazai getting him caught behind with a beauty.
However, Right-handed batsman Rahmat Shah looked solid in his 60-ball stay at the crease. He played some fabulous shots against a dangerous looking Aussies bowling line up, including a flick to an in-swinger from Cummins, and jaw-dropping pull to Coulter Nile in his initial spell.
Shah had actually given Afghanistan hopes for crossing 250-mark, but unfortunately, he handed a catch to Steven Smith off Zampa in the 20th over only to once again make Aussie sit on the driver’s seat on Saturday.
Skipper Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran did put up a lot of fight and led Afghanistan’s revival. The duo was, in fact, moving the scoreboard sharply until the 34th over bowled by Marcus Stoinis.
In a bid to hit boundaries to Australia’s weakest looking bowler, both Naib and Zadran tried to take on Stoinis– shots which weren’t actually needed and resulted in giving their wicket away in the end which eventually turned the game in Australia’s favor as they got bundled out for just 207 in the end.
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