Pacers shine as Afghans pull off upset win over Aussies

KINGSTOWN (Saint Vincent): Afghanistan pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the T20 World Cup, taming Australia by 21 runs in the Super Eight stage at the Arnos Vale Ground to set the Group 1 wide open.

In what turned out to be a stunning performance from Afghanistan bowlers, Australia were bowled out for 127, chasing a relatively easy 149-run winning target. Medium pacers Gulbadin Naib (4-20) and Naveenul Haq (3-20) combined to make going tough for Australia batsmen on a tricky low-bounced track.

Both the pacers struck on crucial times with Gulbadin removing dangerous Glenn Maxwell (59) to take a stranglehold on the match. He also removed Marcus Stoinis (11), Tim David (2) and Pat Cummins (3) to set up the victory. He was later declared Man of the Match.

Once Naveenul Haq ran through Travis Head’s (0), defenses at the outset of the innings, Australian batsmen were seen struggling in the middle. For a brief period, Maxwell threatened to spoil Afghanistan’s party by playing some powerful shots including three sixes and six fours. Once Noor Ahmad snapped him of Naib, Australia went back into their shells.

All the efforts by Stoinis, David and Cummins to drag the Australian score closer to the target went fruitless as none stayed at the crease long enough to threaten the winning target.

Australia won the toss

Afghanistan Innings

Gurbaz c Warner b Stoinis 60

Zadran c Marsh b Zampa 51

Omarzai b Zampa 2

Janat c David b Cummins 13

Khan (c) c David b Cummins 2

Nabi not out 10

Naib c Maxwell b Cummins 0

Kharote not out 1

Extras: (b 4, lb 1, w 4) 9

Total: 20 Ov (RR: 7.40) 148/6

Fall of wickets: 1-118, 2-121, 3-122, 4-126, 5-141, 6-141

Bowling: Ashton Agar 4-1-17-0, Josh Hazlewood 4-0-39-0, Pat Cummins 4-0-28-3, Adam Zampa 4-0-28-2, Glenn Maxwell 2-0-12-0, Marcus Stoinis 2-0-19-1

Australia Innings

Head b Naveen-ul-Haq 0

Warner c Ahmad b Nabi 3

Marsh (c) c Nabi b Naveen 12

Maxwell c Noor b Gulbadin 59

Stoinis c Rahmanullah b Gulbadin 11

David lbw b Gulbadin 2

Wade c Janat b Rashid 5

Cummins b Gulbadin Naib 3

Agar c Gulbadin b Naveen 2

Zampa c Nabi b Azmatullah 9

Hazlewood not out 5

Extras: (b 2, lb 6, nb 1, w 7) 16

Total: 19.2 Ov (RR: 6.56) 127

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-32, 4-71, 5-85, 6-106, 7-108, 8-111, 9-113, 10-127

Bowling: Naveen-ul-Haq 4-0-20-3, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-0-21-0, Azmatullah Omarzai 1.2-0-10-1, Mohammad Nabi 1-0-1-1, Nangeyalia Kharote 1-0-13-0, Rashid Khan 4-0-23-1, Noor Ahmad 1-0-11-0, Gulbadin Naib 4-0-20-4

Result: Afghanistan won by 21 runs

Player of the match: Gulbadin Naib

Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Kumar Dharmasena