Australia survived a nightmarish scare against lowly rated Afghanistan as they won their Super 12 match of the T20 Cricket World Cup in Adelaide yesterday by four runs to enhance their hopes of entering the semi-finals.
Defending what may have looked like a winning score of 168, Australia were taken right down to the wire by Afghanistan’s charismatic player Rashid Khan who entered the crease with total at 103 for 6 in the 15th over and struck a magnificent unbeaten 48 with three fours and four sixes in just 23 balls as the home team survived the frightening moments in the closing stages.
Eventually, brave Afghanistan ended at 164 for 7 with Khan unable to see his team make 21 runs in the last six balls.
Afghanistan were at one stage on top of the Australian bowlers with Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib almost scoring at will until a spectacular throw from Glenn Maxwell from the outfield hit the stumps to run out Naib and break the partnership that changed the fortunes of the defending champions before Khan stepped in to dictate terms.
Earlier Australia made 22 runs in the first two overs but lost their way and depended much on Maxwell to take them to a defendable total.
Maxwell stayed on until the end of the innings and hit the last ball to the boundary as he remained unbeaten on 54 from 32 balls with six fours and two sixes.
Australia were also propped up by Mitchell Marsh who chipped in with 45 from 30 balls with three fours and two sixes in the absence of the captain Aaron Finch who did not take the field due to injury.
Scores:
Australia 168 for 8 in 20 overs (David Warner 25, Mitchell Marsh 45, Marcus Stoinis 25, Glenn Maxwell 54 not out Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 29, Naveen-ul-Haq 3 for 21)
Afghanistan 164 for 7 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 30, Ibrahim Zadran 26, Gulbadin Naib 39, Rashid Khan 48 not out, Josh Hazlewood 2 for 33, Adam Zampa 2 for 22)
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