After a hiatus of seven months, Afghanistan finally avenged their ODI World Cup 2023 defeat against Australia. Rashid Khan and co put a dominating show and edged past the mighty Australians in their T20 World Cup 2024, Super 8 match on Sunday in Kingstown. Batting first, Afghanistan posted a total of 148/6 in 20 overs. Later, the bowlers took the matter in their hands and bundled out Australia for 127, despite a remarkable 59-run knock from Glenn Maxwell. This was Afghanistan's maiden win over Australia in international cricket.
Team Afghanistan joyously celebrated their historic win over the 2021 champions. In a video going viral on social media, the players were seen dancing in the team bus on the famous song, "Champion", by former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Bravo also happens to be Afghanistan's bowling coach for the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan had faced Australia five times before this encounter in all formats, losing all of them. The T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 clash turned out to be the first time that Afghanistan managed to beat Australia in an international contest. reducing the deficit to 1-5.
It was a contrasting performance from the Afghanistan team, that usually rides on the heroics of its spinners. This time, however, it was the pace bowling unit, led by Gulbadin Naib, that produced the emphatic turnaround in the game, and the cricketing universe.
Set a target of 149, Glenn Maxwell (59 off 41 balls, six fours, three sixes) kept the Test and One-Day champions on course until he became Gulbadin's third wicket in the 15th over, opening the door to a result which keeps the duel for semi-final spots alive going into the final two fixtures in the group on Monday.
Gulbadin finished with four for 20 from his four overs of medium pace to turn the match as Australia suffered their first-ever defeat to the Afghans in a senior international encounter, being dismissed for 127 with four balls left in the match.
Both teams are on two points after two games -- with Australia facing Group One leaders India in their final match while Afghanistan play Bangladesh, who have lost both their Super Eights games.
With AFP Inputs