A Glenn Maxwell-inspired Australia only just edged past Afghanistan and will now rely on Sri Lanka upsetting England to make the T20 World Cup semi-finals
Match Report:
ScorecardAustralia edge past Afghans to face nervous wait
For all the personnel permutations and algebraic equations they took into their final Super 12s match against Afghanistan, Australia's hopes of defending their T20 World Cup crown rest solely on results of a match in which they're not taking part.
While the revamped Australia outfit held their fraying nerves in the face of an audacious onslaught from 'local' hero Rashid Khan (48no off 23) to claim a four-run win, the result did not yield the net run rate bonanza they sought.
As a result, their path to the playoff round depends on Saturday night's England-Sri Lanka game at the SCG which will decide which team joins New Zealand as nations to progress from Group 1.
Image Id: 04CED391625241419172E275829C8D51 Image Caption: A Rashid Khan cameo almost dragged Afghanistan over the line // GettyShould Sri Lanka win, Australia live to fight another day which will see a semi-final in Sydney.
However, should England triumph that finals berth will be decided on net run rate and Australia's battle with both bat (in posting a sub-par total of 168) and ball (even with a calamitous middle-order Afghan collapse) tonight meant their quotient did not spike as planned.
Having seen New Zealand suffer an early scare after posting 6-185 in the game that preceded tonight's fixture at Adelaide Oval – the pursuit of which Ireland eventually fell 35 shy of – Australia would have known anything much below 200 would provide cause for angst.
Not only was 8-168 frustratingly short of the benchmark they had in mind, it also meant their bowlers needed to restrict Afghanistan to a total of no more than 106, and preferably something nearer to 80, if the hosts' net run rate was to overtake England's and gain a meaningful boost.
The underdogs seemed set to cruise past that threshold – and perhaps even push for a famous win – when they reached 2-98 after 13 overs.
But three wickets in the space of four deliveries – one via a scorching run out from Glenn Maxwell and two to Adam Zampa's leg spin – followed by another an over later, saw them slump to 6-103 and Australia's hopes suddenly rise.
Image Id: 498CFF952C7843B080ECE1707BBBCFBB Image Caption: Maxwell’s run out of Gulbadin Naib proved the turning point // GettyThat was when Rashid, hampered by back and knee issues pre-game, reprised some of his greatest BBL hits to carry his team to within a single blow of an extraordinary win that would have capped an eventful day.
In addition to losing skipper Aaron Finch and power-hitter Tim David to hamstring injuries for tonight's game, selectors opted for seamer Kane Richardson ahead of regular spearhead Mitchell Starc in what seemed a concession that Starc can be expensive as well as a proven wicket-taker.
But after being kept to a total of 168 courtesy of some clever Afghanistan bowling and a steady clatter of wickets, Australia effectively needed all the firepower they could muster to flatten their rivals' run chase.
The assignment facing Australia had dominated the lead-up to the historic first T20I meeting between the teams, but the significance of tonight's effort by Afghanistan should also be celebrated given their winless tournament and the scale of their challenge.
One of the evening's most resounding cheers arose when Afghanistan's star leg-spinner Rashid – a local hero by dint of his BBL deeds with Adelaide Strikers – first took the ball, with further acknowledgement coming when he finished his four-over spell with 1-29.
Maxwell's first score above 30 for the tournament could not have come at a more crucial time, but not even his hitting that brought a half-century from 29 balls could carry to the 200-plus total they craved.
Image Id: 527DEFDB79D24965803AFAAE195B5809 Image Caption: Maxwell’s 50 came up off just 29 balls // GettyInstead, some canny death bowling from Afghanistan's seamers restricted their more-fancied rivals to just 32 from the last five overs as Australia's planned back-end assault repeatedly misfired.
The most telling blow was struck by impressive 21-year-old Fazalhaq Farooqi, who tilted back stand-in skipper Matthew Wade's middle stump after the Australia finisher had managed six from eight balls faced.
There was also a certain grim irony in seeing a left-arm fast bowler land such a crucial strike with a pin-point yorker, given the man who excels at that art for Australia (Starc) was deemed surplus to requirements for this game.
The decision to spell Starc is one of a number of potential discussion points should Australia fail to progress to the semi-finals.
When asked about the changes at the pre-game coin toss, Wade offered no rationale beyond "Kane Richardson comes in for Mitchell Starc".
Tonight's stuttering batting effort might be another that falls into the category of post-game debate, with indications the host nation were perhaps too hellbent on posting a massive score, understandable given the daunting scenarios that confronted them.
As a consequence, they lost regular wickets just as a partnership began to build with the most productive union being the fifth-wicket stand of 53 off 29 balls between Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis (25 off 21).
But the fact Maxwell was the only player to pass 50 highlighted how the big innings Australia sorely needed couldn't be summoned in their three hours of need.
Another element that could engender further review is the five-ball over that snuck through early in Australia's innings, when Afghanistan seamer Naveen ul-Haq was required to send down only five legal deliveries.
At that stage, David Warner was flying at 23 off 15 balls faced and was on strike, but in the final analysis the missing ball would not have significantly aided Australia's cause no matter how far Warner might feasibly have hit it.
Warner, player of the tournament in Australia's World Cup triumph in the UAE last year, had not batted past the six-over powerplay in his team's preceding games this tournament but looked set for a sizeable score tonight.
When his new opening partner Green fell for just a single at the start of the third over, Australia's total stood at 1-22 and Warner further upped the tempo when joined by Mitchell Marsh and the pair scurried for every run.
They posted their team's 50 after five overs, but from the opening delivery of the next Warner surrendered his wicket when he aimed an ambitious switch hit at what was essentially a fast off-spinner sent down by Naveen.
Image Id: E394AEF8ACE8425281792564F2D5B892 Image Caption: Warner was bowled attempting a switch-hit // GettyNaveen had come into the Afghanistan line-up for his first T20I since September this year, replacing left-armer Fareed Ahmad as one of two changes to their line-up along with top-order batter Darwish Rasooli (in place of allrounder Azmatullah Omarzal).
Come the end of the six-over powerplay, Australia might have been happy with 54 on the board but the loss of Green, Warner and Smith – whose optimistic attempt to overturn his lbw saw them down a review as well – tempered any triumphalism in the home side's dug-out.
While Marsh was at the crease, a monster score looked possible, particularly after he clubbed Gulbadin Naib over long-off for an imperious six before slapping the same bowler over extra cover for four.
It added insult to injury for Gulbadin, who had seen a straightforward chance from Marsh (on 21) spilled by Najib Zadran at backward point from the first ball he sent down.
But when Marsh did fall – a miscued sweep that finally fell into the gloves of keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz having reached 45 off 30 balls – Australia were 4-86 and in growing need of a middle-order miracle.
The fact it never quite arrived might be viewed as a thumbnail sketch of the defending champions' tournament.
Men's T20 World Cup 2022
Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Australia's fixtures
Oct 22: Lost to New Zealand by 89 runs
Oct 25: Beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets
Oct 28: Match abandoned v England
Oct 31: Beat Ireland by 42 runs
Nov 4: Beat Afghanistan by four runs
Click here for the full 2022 T20 World Cup fixture