Short pulls to the midwicket fence and is DROPPED by Kharoti the sub fielder. Crikey. Two simple catches spilled. Australia could be two down but instead each batter has been given a life. Kharoti implies he lost the ball in the floodlights – you would wouldn’t you.
4th over: Australia 42-0 (Head 16, Short 19) Don’t do that Rashid Khan! Travis Head is dropped by the leggie at wide mid-on. A short-armed pull at a comfortable height but shelled by Khan. He can’t believe what he’s done. Guess what? Head smears the next ball for SIX over square leg. Afghanistan is danger of imploding here, Head clips to the square boundary once more and the fielder inexplicably dives over the ball to gift four more.
3rd over: Australia 32-0 (Head 6, Short 19) Short gets a thick edge and it flies away for four. He’s going to throw the blade at everything here and try to get Australia off to a flier. That’d certainly take some of the pressure out of this chase. Bosh! Short pulls Azmatullah over midwicket for a big SIX. He timed the undercrackers off that one, no need to run/hobble for those. Four more to Short who clips off his pads to fine leg. Another expensive over for Afghanistan early doors.
2nd over: Australia 18-0 (Head 6, Short 5) Fazalhaq Farooqi starts and the left-armer does find some vicious late swing with his first ball, it spears into Travis Head’s thigh pad at pace, there’s a brief appeal but it was high and probably missing too. Encouragement for Afghanistan though. Too straight, Head gets a flick off his hip for four leg byes and then clubs a wider follow up for two through the off side. Smack! Head pulls a short ball for four through midwicket. Don’t bowl there son. Matt Short can barely hobble, I’m not sure he should be out there you know. Decent over for the Aussies though – fourteen off it.
1st over: Australia 4-0 (Head 0, Short 4) Azmatullah spoils a decent first over by gifting Short a ball on the hip that is too easy to flick away for four runs to the side of the keeper. No sign of any swing just yet, lets see if Farooqi can find any lateral movement. Matt Short looks well and truly crook by the way. He might just be in the boundary business.
Right then, darkness has descended in Lahore and the floodlights are beaming down. Azmatullah Omarzai has the new ball in hand, a limping Matt Short and Travis Head will open up for Australia. Let’s get into this chase.
How good were the centuries from Joe Root and Ibrahim Zadran the other day? How do you even begin to judge one ton from another and what are the most histroric and impactful in cricketing history? Well, Wisden Cricket Monthly have got you covered and then some. I’ve spent the morning reading this fantastic and incredibly well researched feature on the 100 hundreds that changed the game… and a few that changed the world too.
My co-OBO-er of today’s game – Rob Smyth - picked one of them to dip his quill about. See if you can guess which century maker he’s talking about here:
“He set the bar so high that most openers struggle to reach it, but almost all aspire to it. The ultimate disruptor, he lived by a simple philosophy: score fast and break things*.”
*No it isn’t Zak Crawley. Or Chris Tavare.
Australia somehow managed to gift Afghanistan 37 runs in extras, how costly will that prove? This chase is not going to be plain sailing, although you’d think Afghanistan are maybe fifty runs short there is the pressure of a semi final place up for grabs and there’s also some weather floating around Lahore right now. It might be a nervy, on-off run chase.
Thanks Rob and hello all. Afghanistan are quite the team eh? They’ve managed to get themselves to a sort of competitive total, especially as they have the bowling attack to put some real pressure on.
I’m enjoying Matthew Hayden going full Larry Hagman on the tv coverage, stetson, spurs and a knowing wink.
That’s all from me. Jim Wallace has dipped his fingers in ice and is ready to describe what could be a classic runchase. Goodnight!
England fans, look away now
Adam Zampa's reaction
Ah, mixed bag tonight mate. I struggled to find my length but managed to create a couple of chances through the middle. The wicket definitely changed and got slower during the innings.
[What’s your message to the batters?] Protect the stumps, definitely, and play straight. These guys love to hit the stumps, especially Rash.
We’re happy with that score but they’ve put us under pressure before and we’ve had some great battles with them. Tonight’ll be no different.
Australia need 274 to reach the semi-finals
That was a fascinating innings which showcased the best of 50-over cricket. It ebbed and flow throughout: 3 for 1, 159 for 3, 199 for 7. Eventually the marvellous Azmatullah Omarzai hustled Afghanistan to what should be a competitive total on a used pitch.
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WICKET! Afghanistan 273 all out (Noor c Inglis b Dwarshuis 6)
Afghanistan steal a bye off the last ball but Australia review successfully for caught behind. Inglis thought there was a very thin edge and UltraEdge backed him up.
And now you can breathe.
WICKET! Afghanistan 272-9 (Azmat c Carey b Dwarshuis 67)
Azmat turns down a single off the first ball, pummels four down the ground, turns down another single and then slaps a short ball towards deep extra cover. Carey charges in front on the boundary and just holds on. Even with only two balls remaining after this, that’s an important catch.
Azmattulah Omarzai goes for a pulsating 67 from 64 balls, an innings that included five sixes.
49th over: Afghanistan 268-8 (Azmat 63, Noor 5) Glorious hitting from Azmat, who pulls Ellis over midwicket for a huge six. Ellis responds expertly with two dot balls, only for Azmat to rock back and hammer another six over long off. What a player!
Ellis ends with slightly unflattering figures of 10-0-60-1. He largely bowled well but had the misfortune to run into a rampant Azmat.
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Fifty from Azmat
48th over: Afghanistan 254-8 (Azmat 50, Noor 5) That was similar to the infamous Jonny Bairstow dismissal at Lord’s in 2023, though this would have been a run-out rather than a stumping. And Smith wasn’t captain on that occasion. And it was England. And okay maybe it wasn’t that similar.
Still, it’ll be interesting to see exactly what happened – I think Inglis enquired about the run-out, though it doesn’t seem to be a particularly vocal appeal.
Meanwhile, Azmat drives Dwarshuis for a single to bring up a skilful, beautifully judged fifty from 54 balls. He’s a world-class ODI allrounder, and he keeps proving it against the big boys.
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Smith withdraws run-out appeal
Now then, this is interesting. Noor Ahmad walked out of his crease after completing that single off the last ball of Ellis’s over, after which Inglis broke the stumps. The umpires went upstairs for a run-out referral, only for Steve Smith to withdraw the appeal.
I’m not 100 per cent sure because we haven’t seen enough replays but had that gone upstairs I’m fairly sure Noor would have been out.
47th over: Afghanistan 248-8 (Azmat 48, Noor 3) Azmat smashes a pace-on delivery from Ellis back over his head for a mighty six. Sheesh, that’s a stunning shot. Another massive swipe over extra cover plugs between two fielders on the boundary edge and brings two runs.
A single off the last ball allows Azmat to keep the strike. This has been an intriguing arm-wrestle of an innings, with both teams on top at different stages. Right now, I haven’t a clue who’s in the ascendancy.
46th over: Afghanistan 238-8 (Azmat 39, Noor 2) Noor Ahmad, a limited batter but not a complete rabbit, needs to play for Azmat at the other end. Four overs to go.
WICKET! Afghanistan 235-8 (Rashid c Maxwell b Dwarshuis 19)
Rashid Khan’s violent cameo is over. He slashed Dwarshuis over backward point for four, then clubbed a cross-bat shot straight to Maxwell running in from long on. That wicket could shave 20 runs off Australia’s chase because Rashid is so dangerous, even when he’s dealing mainly in false strokes.
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45th over: Afghanistan 230-7 (Azmat 37, Rashid 15) Ellis has three overs left so he should bowl out from this end. He wasn’t brilliant with the new ball but has been in his element with the old. A fine over is tarnished when Rashid, on the charge, toe-ends a short ball psat short third for four.
That fortunate boundary is the first off Ellis in this spell of 4-0-17-1.
44th over: Afghanistan 223-7 (Azmat 34, Rashid 11) Rashid, swinging like Leatherface, gets lucky again when he mishits Dwarshuis into the open spaces. Azmat takes a single to bring up 1000 ODI runs in only 31 innings; that’s the same as David Warner, one better than Brian Lara.
A misfield at backward point gives Rashid a couple of extra runs. Dwarshuis ends the over well by rushing consecutive deliveries past Rashid’s outside edge.
43rd over: Afghanistan 217-7 (Azmat 31, Rashid 8) Er, yeah, that thing about batting normally for the next three overs. Azmat slog-sweeps Zampa for a huge six, the third time today that the first ball of a Zampa over has disappeared over the ropes.
Rashid Khan can’t resist joining in. He charges down the track and slices high in the air, with the ball somehow bisecting two fielders. Rashid gets two runs for that – and for his next stroke, a fast-handed sweep that is brilliantly stopped on the boundary by the diving Short. The quality of fielding these days never ceases to amaze.
42nd over: Afghanistan 205-7 (Azmat 24, Rashid 3) Rashid Khan has hit 49 ODI sixes, including three against Australia at the last World Cup, so Australia will be wary of his threat. He’d prefer to come in after maybe 45 overs and is using the extra time to play himself in. Four singles from Ellis’s over. You’d expect Afghanistan to bat normally for maybe three more overs and then tee off.
41st over: Afghanistan 201-7 (Azmat 22, Rashid 1) Azmat pushes Zampa for a single to bring up the 200, but there’s only one more run in the over. Afghanistan were looking at 300 in the middle of their innings; they’d surely take 260 now.
40th over: Afghanistan 199-7 (Azmat 21, Rashid 0) Ten overs to go. Australia have pulled this back really well; from overs 31-40, Afghanistan scored 43 runs for the loss of four important wickets.
WICKET! Afghanistan 199-7 (Gulbadin c Inglis b Ellis 4)
Gulbadin mishit a short ball from Ellis towards midwicket, where Short dives to take an outrageous one-handed catch – only for the ball to pop out when his elbow hits the ground.
It doesn’t matter in the end. Gulbadin slogs Ellis into outer space and is calmly caught by Inglis. That’s another very handy wicket for Australia because he can be a dangerous hitter.
39th over: Afghanistan 197-6 (Azmat 20, Gulbadin 3) A superb bouncer from Johnson clonks Gulbadin on the top of the helmet and flies for four leg-byes. Johnson does well to concede only two from five balls after that. In fact that was a really good second spell of 4-0-12-1, even more so after his struggles with the new ball.
38th over: Afghanistan 190-6 (Azmat 19, Gulbadin 1) Azmat pulls Ellis handsomely through midwicket, albeit only for a single. He’s a cracking player, Azmat, who averages 49 and 30 in his fledgling ODI career. And he hasn’t done it with cheap runs and wickets: his averages against the big teams, the ones in this Champions Trophy, are 46 and 29.
Or, to put it another way, he’s the key wicket now.
Australia review for caught behind! Inglis thinks he has caught the dangerous Azmat. Er, he’s wrong. Azmat is not out. He drove off the back foot at Ellis but missed the ball by a distance. Steve Smith screws his face up in confusion; most of the team were sure they heard a noise.
37th over: Afghanistan 186-6 (Azmat 16, Gulbadin 0) Gulbadin’s first leg ball flies away for four leg-byes. Extras moves to 30 not out.
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WICKET! Afghanistan 182-6 (Nabi run out 1)
A bizarre run-out does for Mohammad Nabi. Johnson bowled a short ball down the leg side that looked set to go for five wides until Inglis made a terrific leaping stop.
Nabi set off down the wicket and was sent back by Azmat. Inglis’s throw missed the stumps but Johnson – who read the play superbly – was there to grab the ball and underarm it into the stumps with Nabi well short.
That’s such a bonus wicket for Australia, who will now fancy their chances of hoovering up the lower order.
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36th over: Afghanistan 178-5 (Azmat 13, Nabi 1) The new batter is Mohammad Nabi, a man who made his ODI debut in a World Cup qualifier fifth-place playoff in 2009.
WICKET! Afghanistan 176-5 (Hashmat c Labuschagne b Zampa 20)
Hashmat’s struggle comes to an end when he miscues a desperate kind of pull/sweep straight to backward square leg. He was so unbalanced that he fell over after playing the shot and was lying on his back as the ball looped to Labuschagne. Who knows, that wicket might be a blessing in disguise for Afghanistan because Hashmat’s bat had no middle today. He made 20 from 48 balls with one fortunate boundary.
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35th over: Afghanistan 175-4 (Hashmat 20, Azmat 11) Azmat cuts loose for the first time, slog-sweeping Short for six. That’s the first boundary Short has conceded in seven overs.
34th over: Afghanistan 166-4 (Hashmat 19, Azmat 3) Another tight over from Johnson, whose is finding it much easier to control his line now that the ball isn’t hooping all over the place.
Sediq’s stylish strokeplay had the effect of hiding Hashmat’s struggles. His only boundary was a bottom-edge through Inglis’s legs and he has made 19 not out from 46 balls.
That’s far from ideal, though even dot balls aren’t entirely without merit when you have a lower middle-order like Afghanistan’s. They can cause mayhem if they come in the at the right time, as they did against England on Wednesday. Mohammad Nabi arrived at the crease with exactly 10 overs remaining.
33rd over: Afghanistan 162-4 (Hashmat 18, Azmat 1) Azmat is a fine player, the ICC’s men’s ODI player of the year for 2024, so Australia would love to get him early. Short almost does so when he zips successive deliveries past the edge. For an occasional spinner, he’s doing a helluva job with the ball; even great white-ball quicks like Joel Garner or Jasprit Bumrah would be happy with figures of 6-0-12-0.
32nd over: Afghanistan 161-4 (Hashmat 17, Azmat 1) As it turned out, that non-review in the 29th over only cost Australia 10 runs. That was an increasingly lovely innings from Sediq, 85 from 95 balls with six fours and three sixes. We should see plenty more of him in the next decade.
WICKET! Afghanistan 159-4 (Sediq c Smith b Johnson 85)
Outstanding work from Steve Smith, both as captain and fielder. He gambles by bringing back Spencer Johnson – whose radar was all over the place early on – and is rewarded instnatly. Sediq drives to short cover, where Smith swoops forward to take a difficult low catch with almost no fuss.
31st over: Afghanistan 159-3 (Sediq 85, Hashmat 16) Australia’s most economical bowler today, Matt Short, returns and restores order with another boundaryless over. He has figures of 5-0-11-0 and has yet to be hit for four.
30th over: Afghanistan 156-3 (Sediq 83, Hashmat 15) Sediqullah Atal is playing the innings of his life. Again he swipes Zampa’s first ball for six, this time over mid-on, a gorgeous shot that takes him into the eighties. He does have an ODI hundred, but that was against Zimbabwe in a bilateral series; this is against Australia in a quarter-final.
Mind you, Sediq has had a helping hand: replays show he would have been out in the previous over had Australia reviewed.
Hashmat has a moment of fortune too when he’s sent back by Sediq. Short throws to the wrong end with Hashmat stranded halfway down. Australia are starting to look rattled.
29th over: Afghanistan 145-3 (Sediq 75, Hashmat 12) Sediq brings up the fifty partnership by slapping a poor ball from Ellis for four.
Ellis has a huge shout for LBW turned down when Sediq pushes around a straight one. Australia think long and hard about a review but decide against it. That looked really close; it probably just pitched outside leg stump.
28th over: Afghanistan 139-3 (Sediq 70, Hashmat 11) Zampa returns after a thrifty spell of 4-0-8-0 from Short. Sediq skips down to drive his first ball over mid-off for six.
Tell you what, the age profile of the Afghanistan team is such that they could have have a helluva side at the 2027 World Cup. The top three are all 23, Azmat and Fazalhaq are 24, Rashid Khan 26, Mujeeb 23, Noor Ahmad 20.
Sure Mohammad Nabi, the President, is 40 but he’s got at least another 10 years in him.
27th over: Afghanistan 131-3 (Sediq 63, Hashmat 10) Steve Smith is starting to juggle his bowlers. Ellis returns after a one-over spell from Dwarshuis and concedes only a couple of singles. This is fascinatingly poised. My instinct is that Australia are ahead, but only just.
26th over: Afghanistan 129-3 (Sediq 62, Hashmat 9) Before this tournament Sediq’s only ODI innings were gainst Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He’s only 23 but you can see what the fuss is about; he’s elegant, rotates strike well against spin and wasn’t fazed when the ball kept going past his outside edge early on.
25th over: Afghanistan 126-3 (Sediq 61, Hashmat 7) Dwarshuis replaces Maxwell, who bowled a pretty good spell of 6-1-28-1. Sediq, who is playing superbly now, picks a slower ball and belts it for four. Afghanistan’s tempo and shot selection with the bat have improved so much since Jonathan Trott became their coach.
24th over: Afghanistan 116-3 (Sediq 52, Hashmat 6) It’s important that Australia keep chipping away. The earlier they can get Afghanistan’s lower-order hitters in the better; Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Gulbadin Naib are usually out in the middle for a good time rather than a long time. But if Afghanistan reach, say, 220 for 4 after 40 overs, Australia could enter a world of pain.
Shorrt doesn’t looking like take a wicket but he’s keeping things nice and tight: he has figures of 3-0-5-0.
23rd over: Afghanistan 113-3 (Sediq 51, Hashmat 5) Sediq races to a 64-ball fifty with a terrific shot, carting Maxwell over wide mid-on for six. He struggled early on, especially against Spencer Johnson, but has played nicely since then.
Hashmat, who has also started nervously, gets lucky when he charges Maxwell and bottom-edges four runs through the legs of Inglis. He could have bene out caught, stumped or bowled there.
22nd over: Afghanistan 102-3 (Sediq 50, Hashmat 1) The presssure is building with every dot ball. Australia keep releasing it slightly by giving away extras, with two leg-byes and a wide in that Short over. That takes Extras to 23 not out.
21st over: Afghanistan 98-3 (Sediq 43, Hashmat 1) Hashmat charges Maxwell and almosta yorks himself. He’s struggling to rotate stroke at the start of his innings; in fact he’s 1 not out from 12 balls.
20th over: Afghanistan 94-3 (Sediq 42, Hashmat 1) Matthew Short comes on for Zampa. It’s a good time for him to use up a couple of overs, with Afghanistan needing to rebuild again, and he concedes only a single to Sediq.
19th over: Afghanistan 93-3 (Sediq 41, Hashmat 1)
WICKET! Afghanistan 91-3 (Rahmat c Inglis b Maxwell 10)
Glenn Maxwell is a canny old rogue. The ball after being pulled meatily for four, he gets Rahmat with a quicker delivery from around the wicket that brushes the edge and is well caught by Inglis up to the stumps. Australia are taking wickets at excellent times.
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18th over: Afghanistan 87-2 (Sediq 40, Rahmat 6) A full toss from Zampa is clumped over mid-off for four by Sediq, the first boundary in seven overs. Despite that wicket, Zampa hasn’t started brilliantly.
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17th over: Afghanistan 80-2 (Sediq 35, Rahmat 6) Unlike, a-hem, some teams in this tournament, Afghanistan are happy to take a few overs to rebuild when they lose a wicket. That’s what’s happening now against Maxwell and Zampa. Rahmat gets a couple of bonus runs thanks to a misfield from Short.
16th over: Afghanistan 75-2 (Sediq 34, Rahmat 2) The ball is stopping slightly for the spinners, probably due to the volume of rain in the last 48 hours. Another good over from Zampa, four from it.
15th over: Afghanistan 71-2 (Sediq 31, Rahmat 1) A maiden from Maxwell to Rahmat. You’ve got to love the ebb and flow of 50-over cricket: after scoring 48 in six overs, Afghanistan have added three in the last three for the loss of their best batter.
14th over: Afghanistan 71-2 (Sediq 31, Rahmat 1) Ibrahim looked crestfallen as he walked off. He’s such a key player, the man most likely to bat the majority of his innings, and his dismissal puts Australia back on top.
WICKET! Afghanistan 70-2 (Ibrahim c Labuschagne b Zampa 22)
A huge moment. Adam Zampa has struck with his third ball, a long hop that Ibrahim cuts straight to Labuschagne at point. It was so wide that Ibrahim had to reach for the ball and was unable to control the stroke.
13th over: Afghanistan 70-1 (Ibrahim 22, Sediq 31) Glenn Maxwell replaces Spencer Johnson, who bowled an erratic spell of 6-0-37-1. I wonder whether Maxwell’s aura extends to his bowling when he plays against Afghanistan. We’ll find out today I guess.
Maxwell starts well, finding a hint of turn and conceding only two singles.
12th over: Afghanistan 68-1 (Ibrahim 21, Sediq 30) It’s a sign of Ibrahim’s class that he has made 21 from 23 balls almost without trace. Sediq has been more eye-catching, both in his strokeplay and his false strokes. He has another moment of fortune when an inside-edge off Ellis flies past the stumps.
11th over: Afghanistan 63-1 (Ibrahim 18, Sediq 28) Johnson again drifts onto the pads and is put away for four by Sediq.
This is getting a bit worrying for Australia, who have conceded 39 from the last five overs. In these conditions they could use a fourth seamer, even if it’s just for a couple of overs. Maybe it’s time for Marnus to show off his medium pace.
10th over: Afghanistan 54-1 (Ibrahim 15, Sediq 22) Nathan Ellis replaces Dwarshuis, who bowled a reasonable spell of 4-0-13-0. A wide slower ball is slammed to the extra-cover boundary by Ibrahim, though he is beaten either side of that boundary.
As Aaron Finch says on commentary, there’s enough in this pitch that Australia don’t need to mix it up at this stage: “bowl your first-class length”.
9th over: Afghanistan 48-1 (Ibrahim 11, Sediq 21) A loose ball from Johnson is touched fine for four by Sediq. It’s hard to assess Johnson’s spell because he has really struggled to control his line yet he could easily have three-for.
One thing we can all agree on: Australia would like a second wicket asap. Despite some hairy moments, the scoreboard looks healthy for Afghanistan.
8th over: Afghanistan 41-1 (Ibrahim 10, Sediq 16) Afghanistan are starting to play more freely. Zadran square-drives Dwarshuis for his first boundary, then Sediq slices a drive past backward point for a couple. Extras (15) is no longer the top scorer.
7th over: Afghanistan 33-1 (Ibrahim 5, Sediq 13) Another quick single for Ibrahim, who played a loose stroke to his first ball but has looked calm and secure since then.
When Johnson throws up a tempter outside off, Sediq nails a beautiful extra-cover drive for four. He plays a similar stroke for three more later in the over.
6th over: Afghanistan 24-1 (Ibrahim 4, Sediq 6) Ibrahim is starting to rotate strike in his usual unobtrusive way. The problem is that Sediq is struggling to do the same, so Ibrahim has faced only six of the first 36 deliveries.
Sediq is a talented young player but he’s really struggling here. He has a lusty hack at Dwarshuis and is beaten, edges a fraction short of Short at first slip and then misses another swipe outside off stump.
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5th over: Afghanistan 23-1 (Ibrahim 3, Sediq 6) Johnson, who is moving the ball both in the air and on the pitch, beats Sediq with three successive deliveries. As Ian Smith says on commentary, Afghanistan just need to get through this spell – it’s fine if they are 40 for 1 after 10 overs.
4th over: Afghanistan 20-1 (Ibrahim 1, Sediq 5) So far Dwarshuis has been able to control the swing pretty well; two from his second over.
3rd over: Afghanistan 18-1 (Ibrahim 1, Sediq 3) Ibrahim Zadran is beaten by his first ball, a beauty from Johnson that moves away from a full length. It was a loose drive from Ibrahim, whose judgement was so good against England.
It won’t be a surprise if he fails today. It’s hard, especially for young players, to follow up the innings of their life at any time, never mind when it was less than 48 hours ago.
Ibrahim gets off the mark with a single, then Sediq is beaten by a stunning delivery that seams past the inside edge, just misses off stump and swings away for four byes. Johnson is mixing jaffas and filth; his next ball is speared down the leg side for five wides, then he beats both batters outside off stump.
Some over that: he beat the edge four times and conceded 12, 10 of them in extras.
2nd over: Afghanistan 6-1 (Ibrahim 0, Sediq 2) There’s some swing for Dwarshuis, who beats the left-handed Sediqullah Atal with a couple of jaffas. Steve Smith has a really attacking fiekd: two slips, gully and backward point.
A misfield from Labuschagne gives Sediq the first runs off the bat.
1st over: Afghanistan 4-1 (Ibrahim 0, Sediq 0) Johnson’s line was slightly off for much of that over – the four runs were all leg-byes or wides – but that ball to Gurbaz was as near perfect as dammit.
WICKET! Afghanistan 3-1 (Gurbaz b Johnson 0)
A perfect start for Australia! Spencer Johnson has cleaned up the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a fantastic yorker. Mitch Starc couldn’t have done it better: it curved in, sneaked under the bat and pinged the outside of off stump. Gurbaz lingered for ages, not quite able to take it in. He did nothing wrong; it was an absolute jaffa.
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Time for the action to begin. It’s less than 48 hours since Ibrahim Zadran made a phenomenal 177 against England. His ability to go again, or otherwise, will be a key part of this game.
Team news
Both teams are unchanged from their wins over England.
Afghanistan Ibrahim, Gurbaz (wk), Sediq, Rahmat, Hashmat (c), Azmat, Nabi, Gulbadin, Rashid, Noor, Farooqi.
Australia Head, Short, Smith (c), Labuschagne, Inglis (wk), Carey, Maxwell, Dwarshuis, Ellis, Zampa, Johnson.
Afghanistan win the toss and bat
That’s no surprise given their ability to squeeze the game in the second innings. It’s a used pitch which should bring their spinners into the game; the seamers took seven of the 10 England wickets to fall on Wednesday.
Steve Smith says Australia would have bowled so he’s happy enough. There’s a chance of a DLS chase, given the weather forecast, so there’s plenty of merit in batting second as well.
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Preamble
On 10 October 2000, South Africa thrashed England by eight wickets in Nairobi, Kenya. Shaun Pollock took 3 for 27, Jacques Kallis stroked an effortless 78. That match was the last quarter-final to be played in the Champions Trophy, but only if you take these things literally.
The group format that has been used in the Champions League since 2000 has produced a number of de facto quarter-finals, including a memorable match between India and Australia in 2006. The latest takes place in Lahore today, where Afghanistan and Australia meet for the right to face either India or New Zealand in the semi-finals.
Afghanistan dumped England out of the tournament on Wednesday in a thrilling match that confirmed their status as one of the world’s best white-ball sides. It’s not that long ago that Afghanistan were dangerous opponents who on their day could trouble the best team; now they’re just really, really good.
They would have beaten Australia at the 50-over World Cup but for Glenn Maxwell’s mind-blowing 201 not out. They did beat Australia, decisively so, in last year’s T20 World Cup.
There’s a bit of rain forecast in Lahore, though nothing to suggest we won’t get a positive result. Australia can theoretically lose today and still go through, but it would need England to marmalise South Africa tomorrow. In reality, it all comes down to this.
Weather permitting, play will start in Lahore at 2pm local/8pm AEDT/9am GMT.
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