On November 7, Australia beat Afghanistan in the ICC World Cup match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, chasing down a target of 292 runs with just 3 wickets in hand. Glenn Maxwell was the star of the match, scoring an incredible double-century. Despite losing seven wickets quickly, Maxwell’s aggressive batting, including 21 fours and 10 sixes, helped Australia reach the target in the 47th over.
Australia beat Afghanistan by 3 wickets | World Cup 2023
Australia’s innings took a hit when they lost key batsmen early, but Maxwell, suffering from a leg sprain, played a remarkable innings and was well-supported by Captain Pat Cummins. Afghanistan’s bowlers, including Naveen-ul-Haq, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Rashid Khan, took two wickets each. Glenn Maxwell was named the ‘Player of the Match,’ this victory placed Australia in third place in the tournament standings, with 12 points from 8 matches and a positive Net Run Rate. Afghanistan, on the other hand, dropped to sixth place with 8 points and a negative Net Run Rate.
In the first innings, Afghanistan’s opener Ibrahim Zadran played a brilliant innings, scoring an unbeaten century, becoming the first Afghan player to achieve this feat in a World Cup match. He scored 129 not out from 143 balls, helping his team reach a total of 291 for five. This win marked a significant comeback for Australia in the tournament after losing their initial matches to India and South Africa. They need just one more win to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Afghanistan, with four wins in seven games, must beat Australia and South Africa to qualify for the semi-finals in this year’s Cricket World Cup.
