Right, the broadcast is over so I’ll check out too. Sorry about the emails in the last hour or so – I was no chance of getting those in once the game went to the next level! Thanks for going on this wild ride with me. Glenn, you little beauty.
The captains talk. Pat Cummins explains that even from 200 away Maxwell was charting a course to victory – suggests it’s the greatest one-day innings ever, and it is. Hashmat says it is “unbelievable” what has just happened, acknowledging the dropped catches. It’ll haunt Mujeeb forever (my words, not Hashmat’s).
I know you aren’t meant to put yourself into these things. And I’ve tried my best not to. But Glenn is a friend, I care a lot about him a lot, and I just don’t believe any of this.
Earlier this year in India, his leg was still in a really bad way – I didn’t think this could happen again. To think it has, 201 not out from 128 balls, the highest score for Australia ever in ODIs (and of course, World Cups) – it’s a staggering achievement. “We’ll never see the likes of that ever again,” says Ian Smith on TV. Quite right.
But he didn’t do it on his own. The partnership with Cummins was worth an unbeaten 202. That’s 202 for the eighth wicket! The captain added 12 of those in 68 balls – every one of them dealt with carefully and appropriately; selfless and perfect. By a mile it is the biggest 8th wicket stand in ODI history. There’s so much more.
Updated
Glenn Maxwell is player of the match. He speaks. "I feel shocking! It was obviously quite hot when I was fielding and haven’t done a lot og high-intensity fielding in the heat but it got hold of me today. Luckily. I was able to stick it out to the end.”
He says they tried to stick to their own batting plans when it was 91-7 (Ninety One For Seven! Yes, you are reading that correctly!) – but the missed chances prompted him to “get a little bit more proactively.” Yeah, you could say that.
“I had my chances, I led a charmed life. But to make the most of it and go on with it tonight is the most pleasing thing and to be there with Patty I’m very proud of.”
THAT IS THE GREATEST ONE -DAY INNINGS OF ALL TIME! AUSTRALIA HAVE WON BY THREE WICKETS!
MAXWELL BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG! He’s done it.
Mujeeb was the man who dropped Maxwell when he was nowhere now he’s the man at the bowling crease at the end. Two hockey slaps over midwicket, a four through cover to get them five away and a towering six over square leg – his 10th to go with 21 fours, to win the thing. MAXWELL 201 NOT OUT FROM 128 BALLS.
46th over: Australia 271-7 (Maxwell 179, Cummins 12) Target 292 Rashid’s final over so Maxwell, shovelling to midwicket, takes the single right away. Let Cummins deal with this, the logic. It makes sense. But then from the third ball, counter to the plan, a misfield prompts them to take the take the single. Rashid to Maxwell – three balls left for the champion. The first is full, defended. SO much hinges on these two balls. Maxwell will know it. Leg stump, defended to midwicket – no the call. Final ball – “can he find something?” asks Ian Smith. He can’t! But Maxwell can! They take the single! He’s back on strike! 21 from 24 needed. And Rashid Khan is done: 2/44 (10).
45th over: Australia 267-7 (Maxwell 177, Cummins 11) Target 292. A SEVENTH SIX to start the over! How many times has he done it from the first ball of an over?! It’s the dead-still lift, a pick-up shot that normally requires the whole body to move in sequence but he’s doing this – hitting them 20 rows back – with no footwork and all wrists. Shane Watson, his old mate, explains that the difference for Maxwell is core strength – Watto the old pilates nut, you love to hear it! “I can feel a reverse coming,” says Oracle Ponting – third man is up. Last ball of the over. AND HE GETS THE SINGLE AGAIN! It’s a chip, past Naveen who dives and nearly drags it in! Maxwell hobbles, hobbles down to the danger end and makes it. 25 from 30 needed.
44th over: Australia 260-7 (Maxwell 170, Cummins 11) Target 292. It’s hard to fathom how well this is working – the standing flick, four. He can’t move! But he can move well enough to get into the reverse of Azmat two balls later OVER THIRD MAN FOR SIX! Azmat nearly knocked him over first ball, when he walked in on a hat-trick. It’s scarcely believable. FOUR MORE from the next! Short enough, pace off, able to swing… midwicket had no chance! There are still two balls left in the over, Australia need 33 and Maxwell is 31 away from double ton. AND HE GETS THE SINGLE TO FINISH AS WELL! Afghanistan were not on top of it – he walked it, the throw was rogue, that could’ve been a run out chance – the bloke can’t run! He’s back on strike – 15 from the over, 32 from 36 needed. Maxwell is 170 from 113 and this is one of the best innings in the history of one-day international cricket.
43rd over: Australia 245-7 (Maxwell 155, Cummins 11) Target 292. Staggering scenes, Cummins does play out the maiden. Whatever it takes to give Maxwell a chance to keep hitting boundaries. The stand is now up to 154 with Cummins adding 11 (66) of those. But without him, Maxwell isn’t 155 (108) – serious teamwork. Back to Maxi…
MAXWELL TO 150!
42nd over: Australia 245-7 (Maxwell 155, Cummins 11) Target 292. We’ll be talking about this innings forever. Eight runs of the over, Maxwell standing still to execute another of those absurd clips – how’s he finding the gaps with five men back?! And then for good measure turns around to play a standing reverse switch hit number, that runs past first slip for four. He can’t take the single to finish – he cannot even hop down the other end. So, Cummins has a choice to make from here: does he start trying to hit boundaries as well or does he accept the next over is a maiden?
41st over: Australia 237-7 (Maxwell 147, Cummins 11) Target 292. Cummins has no choice but to play out the four balls – Maxwell can’t run! What DRAMA at Mumbai. But there’s so long to go – 55 runs needed, and they have to be all 4s and 6s.
If he finishes this...
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) November 7, 2023
Kapil : Zimbabwe 1983 :: Maxwell : Afghanistan 2023#CWC2023
Maxwell hits the deck – cramp! He’s used the first ball well, another standing-still flick, this time off Noor Ahmad, into a gap for a boundary. Down the ground for an easy single next but he’s hops down to the danger end and immediately goes to ground. This really is something else. Adam Zampa is coming down the stairs – he’s not going to retire hurt, is he? Might he have to? That’s the second time he’s walked down the stairs tonight, believing he was in when Maxwell was saved by a persuasive lbw shout – it feels a long time ago now. He’s going to continue!
40th over: Australia 232-7 (Maxwell 142, Cummins 11) Target 292. Blimey! Maxwell can’t move in the crease but it does not matter. Facing Naveen, standing dead still, he flicks him over backward square for four then hammers a straight drive for four more. No footwork with either, all eyes and wrists. Some of the most freakish cricket I’ve ever seen. And the strike gets back to Cummins, who does his bit from the final two balls of the over, the 55th and 56th of his innings, to get the strike back to The Big Show. A partnership of 141 from 129 as we enter the final ten overs with an even run a ball needed. Cummins the perfect ally – his 11 in 56 vital to it all.
39th over: Australia 223-7 (Maxwell 133, Cummins 11) Target 292. First ball SIX! Of course! It’s been the theme of the innings, and with Maxwell’s issue (cramp?) causing him so much grief, it makes sense that he’s moved from fours to sixes. But with that sorted right away, they can play Rashid with the respect he otherwise deserves. Seven from the over and the strike is back with Maxi. 69 from 66 needed.
38th over: Australia 216-7 (Maxwell 126, Cummins 11) Target 292. Maxi is battling now, every run is hurting - they’re being slowed down by Naveen’s re-emergence – just two taken here, a couple of yorkers dug out in the process. Once again the Australian support staff are out there, looks to be drinking some of that pickle juice according to the TV comms. Did I hear Haydos right saying once Maxwell is through this and they’re qualified then tomorrow chill out at ‘Smoko’? I hope that’s right – and even if I heard it incorrectly (basically = morning tea), here’s a banging tune.
37th over: Australia 214-7 (Maxwell 125, Cummins 11) Target 292. Maxwell is clearly in strife now with that hamstring or lower back – hard to tell exactly what, but he’s walking his singles. But as they come together at the end of Rashid’s 8th over, where three runs were taken, he’s still smiling. They bring a drink out for him.
“I’m not necessarily rooting for Australia to pull off the heroic comeback,” writes Beau Dare. “But wouldn’t it be nice if the outcome was in doubt in the 45th over for a change?” Whisper it… this could evolve into one of the best finishes ever.
36th over: Australia 211-7 (Maxwell 123, Cummins 10) Target 292. WinViz is still big on Afghanistan at 82 per cent but that can’t factor in what Maxwell and Cummins are doing… and you better believe it’s going to continue here against Nabi! Creative, inside the line, over his shoulder four. Next? HUGE over deep midwicket on a lofted sweep – into the crowd with ease! How many times has he hit consecutive boundaries here? Loads. Calculated hitting, applying as much pressure as he possibly can to free up any required run rate pressure. 11 off once again. Cummins’ 10 is from 42 balls, Maxwell’s 123 from 89. They’re put on 121 in 106 – stunning stuff.
35th over: Australia 200-7 (Maxwell 112, Cummins 10) Target 292. Naveen, who bowled such a splendid spell a couple of hours ago, returns to the attack to try and get this back on track for Afghanistan. Five singles, not all pretty, but a change in rhythm, which has to be good for the fielding team at this stage. Even just Maxwell having to put a helmet on for the first time since the power play – shake it up now.
“Afternoon Adam.”Kim Thonger! “I feel obliged to point out that this brave and skilful Afghanistan team hit peak form precisely at the moment my Afghanistan bucket hat arrived courtesy of Amazon. Correlation or causation? I know what I think. Yours overexcitedly. An ex-England supporter.”
Kim has sent me a picture with this email (I have no idea how to pop it in) with the hat on and a pair of sunglasses, sat in front of a packed bookcase. Doing it well.
A delay here with Maxwell stretching out a hamstring. He’s taken a tablet. “There is a different universe where Glenn M has been batting at 5/6 in the Australian test side for the last decade,” says Brenden Fawkes. “I wish I was in that one.” Oh, me too.
34th over: Australia 195-7 (Maxwell 109, Cummins 8) Target 292. Afghanistan turn to Nabi at this late stage – another bowler who Maxwell knows as well as anyone from years and years of IPL and BBL. And sure enough, first ball of the over he’s after him, deploying the cut to perfection once again, this time into a gap for four. Ohhh it’s back-to-back boundaries with a Maxwellian special, giving the stumps to the bowler and forcing with immaculate timing into a gap from the off-stump line to the cover rope – that’s a stunning shot, and the 100 stand… they’re put on 103 with Cummins making 8 of those! Maxwell gives the captain one ball to get through and get through it he does. He’s faced 38 balls now and played a blinder at No9.
Maxwell completes a third World Cup ton!
33rd over: Australia 186-7 (Maxwell 100, Cummins 8) Target 292. Maxwell cuts hard again, right out the middle of the bat, a misfield allows them to run back. He’s 99. Make that 100! Another cut to deep point to raise a 76-ball ton. “An incredible performance,” says Mike Atherton. From where they were to where they are – the job is a long way from done but this is a reminder that he’s made of special stuff.
There are about five cricketers in the world who can change a match situation so dramatically and Australia have one of them batting at No6. What an individual performance. #Maxi
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) November 7, 2023
32nd over: Australia 183-7 (Maxwell 97, Cummins 8) Target 292. Maxi is beaten by Mujeeb when playing defensively early in the over so he goes the other way to smash a straight four and a HUGE SIX over long on – that’s his biggest of the night! Maxwellball. He’s 96 from 73 with a couple of balls to go. A carve to deep point is nearly worth two but they think better of it with Cummins able to knock this on the head and give the strike back, and that’s precisely what he does. 11 off the over.
31st over: Australia 172-7 (Maxwell 86, Cummins 8) Target 292. Needing just on a run-a-ball from here, Shane Watson makes the point that they can game this to let him do almost all of the scoring – Cummins just needs to keep playing smart cricket. It’s highly improbable the asking rate will be even a factor if Maxwell is there for another ten overs. Noor is bowling nicely here, so they play this cool – three off it. As Athers says on TV, this might be the time to go back to pace to shake things up a bit.
“I hope it is not slipping away,” laments Krishnamorthy v. “An Australian win after 7 down on a two-digit score would be hard to digest. The permutations (Someone explained to me that Pakistan can still qualify) are head-spinning for me to gauge. I just want the Afghans to proceed.” T
There’ll be a lot of these feelings. Nobody apart from Australia want Maxi to do this.
30th over: Australia 169-7 (Maxwell 84, Cummins 7) Target 292. Ooooh, what a ball from Mujeeb, a beautiful delivery breaking from leg to off, but instead of running into Maxwell’s off stump it clips the outside edge and runs away through first slip to the rope – yet another over that begins with a boundary for him. Three times in the over he’s galloping back for two after placing and weighting his groundstrokes into the legside – this is all part of the process of breaking down a fielding team. This pair have put on 78 with Cummins only needing to get seven of those. 11 off the over.
Over the PA, the ground announcer is giving it the ‘when I say GLENN, you say MAXWELL’ – he’s always been more popular in India than anywhere else…
29th over: Australia 158-7 (Maxwell 73, Cummins 7) Target 292. Oh dear… I can’t stop thinking about that Mujeeb drop as Maxi plonks Noor over midwicket for SIX (again, the first ball of the over) then does it again over long on – he hasn’t middled either but doesn’t need to with his bat speed and rubber wrists. The required rate has never hit 7 an over, down to 6.4 now with 21 overs left. Put it this way – if Maxwell is still batting at over 45, the game is probably finished. If that.
28th over: Australia 145-7 (Maxwell 60, Cummins 7) Target 292. Afghanistan have so many options, including five Mujeeb overs, which is unusual at this stage – he’s often done by over 30 or thereabouts. But Maxwell is determined to continue putting pressure on by hitting the first ball of the over to the boundary and does again here for the fifth time (by my count) through extra cover. With that heavy lifting complete, that there’s only one more run taken doesn’t matter too much.
“I’m torn on this,” says Brenden Fawkes in relation to my comment about automating bowled dismissals in games where zing balls and technology. “I’ve seen in grade cricket a batsman have such soft hands that when the ball did roll back (after some outrageous un-luck) and graze the stumps, the bails stayed on. Did the batsman do enough to ‘protect his wicket’ with the softest of hands, or do we take that away because of an usual deviation off of his foot & pitch to bring it back onto the wicket? Although, the bails over the last few years have proven to be too heavy - there has to be a better way, if they want to have lights in them, to bring them back to a more ‘traditional’ weight.”
Fair. My point, in general terms (too much going on in the game to go into depth!) is that the bails are there to begin with to help us identify when the stumps have been hit. They should remain, of course, as part of the stumps – the game has evolved to make the stumps marginally bigger because of their presence. But I reckon the days of needing bails to come off in the zing era (see examples here) are beyond us.
27th over: Australia 140-7 (Maxwell 55, Cummins 7) Target 292. They’re got a bit of a method going here when Cummins is on strike, trying to just absorb as much pressure as possible – he’s not bad at that. But after Rashid spits a googly up at his thigh pad, the ball to finish turns past the edge with the Australian captain looking to drive him through cover – it beats the blade and the ‘keeper, running away for four byes. So, that’s drinks with Australia still in need of 152 runs at 6.6 an over.
Maxwell to 50 from 50 balls
26th over: Australia 131-7 (Maxwell 51, Cummins 6) Target 292. To the milestone with a crashing loft mid-off, a Maxwell trademark, and another boundary from the first ball of an over. Only one further single from there – Noor nearly sneaks past the Aussie captain with a sharply-spun ball to finish, but he gets his bat down.
“Hi Adam,” Good afternoon, Colum Fordham. “Watching Afghanistan thrive on the world stage is a breath of fresh air for cricket. Their exciting raw talent, so evident in other tournaments, is coming to the fore. Their bowlers are a wonder to watch, especially Mujeeb, Azmat and Rashid Khan. But I have a question. Are Australia England in disguise?”
In fairness, that would require them to lose six on the trot…
25th over: Australia 126-7 (Maxwell 46, Cummins 6) Target 292. Cummins isn’t going to do anything outlandish against Rashid, happy patting him around defensively. 166 from 25 overs – at some level, Maxwell will love this challenge.
“Hi Adam.” Hello, David Hopkins. “I don’t think anyone wants to see the Afghanistan story end in the group stages. Is it too much to ask for Sri Lanka and England to rouse themselves to some sort of competitiveness and give them a hand in the last round of matches?”
If they win this, I reckon they’ll knock South Africa off too and make sure of it.
24th over: Australia 125-7 (Maxwell 45, Cummins 6) Target 292. Maxwell goes hard at the first all of the over for the third time in a row, getting it past the man inside the ring at midwicket out to the rope. Aaron Finch makes a good point: Maxwell in lovely shape heading into the elimination stage, provided they make it (!), is daunting. Especially considering he missed England with a concussion.
“I’m conflicted about this match,” says Alistair Connor. “Afghanistan have been the revelation of the Cup, and anyway, as a New Zealander, my second team is always whoever Australia is playing today. So I fervently hope the Afghans win. BUT. If Sri Lanka happen to actually turn up on Thursday, for the first time of the tournament, they could go to the semis at the expense of the Black Caps!”
If Afghanistan win this, and surely they do, we have a very fun week ahead of us.
@collinsadam If they lose by more than 118, their two heaviest-ever defeats in World Cups will have been this year. Their only other 100+ losses were in 1983 to the two finalists.
— Jon Harrison (@JonHarr82959177) November 7, 2023
23rd over: Australia 118-7 (Maxwell 39, Cummins 5) Target 292. It feels like we’ve been going for several hours but Australia are only 23 overs into this shambolic chase. The asking rate, however, is only 6.4 and Maxwell will be aware of that – he clobbers Rashid over cover in a way he only can, nearly going for six. If anyone can…
22nd over: Australia 113-7 (Maxwell 34, Cummins 5) Target 292. Oh no! Another DROP – a real shocker around the corner at short fine by Mujeeb after Maxwell helped it to him with a miscued sweep. In the middle of all that, the lbw let-off and the bad drop, Australia added 12 with a Maxwell reverse sweep and five wides.
NOT OUT! Noor has done everything right from over the wicket, hitting Maxwell on the knee roll. It prompts Maxwell to start walking off believing he was done – Zampa was heading to the ground. But ball tracking has it going over! Smiles all round.
IS MAXWELL LBW TO NOOR? Up we go! Maxwell reviews; given out on field.
21st over: Australia 101-7 (Maxwell 27, Cummins 5) Target 292. Confusion! Dropped catch! Maxwell should be caught by Shahidi at mid-off but he momentarily believes Rashid, the bowler, is running back with the flight – the captain doesn’t get to the contest. Rashid is all over him here, beating both edges and turning it square.
20th over: Australia 98-7 (Maxwell 24, Cummins 5) Target 292. I wonder what Pat Cummins has said to Maxwell when walking out here? He’s a clever cookie, Captain Pat – he will know the bigger Net Run Rate picture that I referred to before and he will appreciate the probability of a win from here is so small. Three off Noor Ahmad, another quality spinner from this Afghanistan production line, and only 18.
I’m mindful through this that the wider Afghanistan story is an extremely complicated one. Remember, Australia boycotted a series against them only ten months ago; the very fact they are playing this game after doing this is noteworthy. On this topic, I’m grateful, as always, for Robert Wilson’s thoughts.
“Hey,ça va, mon grand? This World Cup has now definitively done its job. I’m profusely made up for Zadran picking off a ton against the Ozzers. Has there ever been a jauntier story than the Afghanistan one, given the circumstances? And given the background of boycotting talk about this team.
It’s a vexing question but I had the great good fortune to spend some time with Afghan refugees in Paris as the Americans pulled out of Kabul (the French were noble if clumsy at the time, letting as many people in as possible, but then giving them care packages consisting exclusively and mystifyingly of couscous). They were a spectacular bunch, to a man already planning their complicated return to their country (the women were notably less keen). One of them, a famous painter, known for painting extravagantly defiant political street murals had this to say about boycotts, sporting, cultural or otherwise.
‘Are you guys mental? The world should do the exact opposite. Invite every voice to speak, everywhere, all the time. Most kids in Afghanistan have smartphones. They know what’s what. And they need to see other Afghans showing the world who we are or even better what we are. Nothing is more revolutionary than that.’
The quote is kosher. He permanently changed my mind about this (in Afghanistan’s case at least). Not least because anyone who airily and fluently calls you ‘mental’ in their fourth or fifth language deserves a hearing.”
19th over: Australia 95-7 (Maxwell 22, Cummins 4) Target 292. My oh my… STARC DIDN’T HIT IT! He was confused at the time and TV shows why: that ball hit the off-stump but not his bat! He walked off without reviewing so there’s nothing they can do about it now. I started this stint with a rant about specialist third umps but I’ll spare you another about the need for any ball hitting the stumps (where TV/zing balls are in use) to be given out because, in a roundabout way, it’s the right outcome.
WICKET! Starc c Ikram Alikhil b Rashid 3 (7) Australia 91-7
It doesn’t matter, he gets Starc next ball! What a catch from Ikram, the deflection from the googly hitting his glove and ballooning in front of the stumps, but he followed it instinctively before diving to drag it back in with one mitt! Full commitment to the cause. What an extraordinary event we are seeing here.
NOT OUT! It was ground before boot on the drive. So much pressure now.
HAS RASHID KHAN TAKEN A FREAK CATCH OFF STARC IN HIS FOLLOW-THROUGH? Bump ball or smashed into his foot? We’re about to find out.
18th over: Australia 91-6 (Maxwell 22, Starc 3) Target 292. A great time to bring on teenage sensation Noor Ahmad, who was so good against Pakistan a couple of weeks ago – the win that got Afghanistan on this mighty roll. Two singles to begin here, the left-arm wristspinner played watchfully by both veteran Australians.
17th over: Australia 89-6 (Maxwell 21, Starc 2) Target 292. “You can just hear through the stump mics how up Afghanistan are for this,” says Aaron Finch when coming onto commentary. Starc is off the mark with a couple out to point.
WICKET! Stoinis lbw b Rashid 6 (7) Australia 87-6
Three reds! It looks a dreadful shot on replay – a panicked shot so described by Mike Atherton on telly. Stoinis departs; Australia are just about finished. Wow.
HAS RASHID TRAPPED STOINIS LBW WHEN REVERSING? He’s given out on the field – it looks like he’s in a lot of trouble. But he has to send it upstairs. Oh dear…
16th over: Australia 81-5 (Maxwell 20, Stoinis 1) Target 292. As I said before, Maxwell knows Mujeeb well, and it shows with the confidence he plays him over midwicket then through extra cover – two boundaries, in a row, both hammered. These two have it in them to put a lot of pressure back on Afghanistan very quickly.
15th over: Australia 73-5 (Maxwell 12, Stoinis 1) Target 292. A big wrong’un from Rashid to finish his first, which Stoinis knows very little about – a great start from the little champion. Maxwell and Stoinis aren’t in the team for that’s the job now. Also, a note for Australia’s Net Run Rate. The only way they can miss the semi-finals is if they lose both games and have their NRR destroyed in the process.
NOT OUT! Ever so close to that outside edge but not quite. On to ball-tracking, as the ball did hit the back pad, which is the noise they were excited about… and it’s umpire’s call on contact with the stumps! So close x 2 – Stoinis survives, juuuust.
HAS RASHID KHAN GOT STOINIS CAUGHT BEHIND? Upstairs we go! They’re burned one review on the hat-trick ball earlier so this is not without risk but they’ve backed in their No1 bowler, halfway through his first over. This is a huge moment.
WICKET! Labuschagne run out Rahmat 14 (28) Australia 69-5
It is close but the bat has been slid in on the roof side and thus, the toe of the blade is still in the air when the ball hits the stumps! Hooley dooley, they’re in a world of pain now the Aussies. Maxwell called him through for one to midwicket but a brief moment of indecision has been his undoing with Rahmat spot on with the throw. As Ponting says on TV, the call from Maxwell was immediate, so that’s on Marnus.
HAS RAHMAT RUN LABUSCHAGNE OUT? This will be close!
Updated
14th over: Australia 69-4 (Labuschagne 14, Maxwell 11) Target 292. Mujeeb to Marnus. For different reasons, two of the more interesting players in the game. Nothing given from either competitor here; a maiden complete. Labuschagne has pulled one of these wins off before, against South Africa a couple of months ago when he was drafted into the squad. But on that occasion, they were hunting 230-odd not 292 and the required rate is up at 6.2, which’ll take some getting.
13th over: Australia 69-4 (Labuschagne 14, Maxwell 11) Target 292. Maxwell clips Azmat away for four; his first boundary. Eight off it. Fascinating to see how the Victorian plays this. How long until he pushes back? He doesn’t have to, and doesn’t need to either – he has the game to drag it out deep if necessary.
“Hello Adam.” Good afternoon, Krishnamorthy V. “Imagine this scenario. Afghanistan qualifies in the top 4, knocks out India in the semis, and wins the WC after humiliating SA in the final. Will be a bigger upset than the 1983 Kapil’s devils.”
It would be, by some way, the biggest surprise in the history of international cricket. But’s filtering it through the lens of where they’ve been and perhaps where they were coming into this tournament. From here, that’s just four wins away. Dream.
“Hi Adam.” Young Abhijato! Lovely to hear from you. “I hope you’re doing well -- it’s been a while! My semester has chugged along and entered its last month of classes too soon, just like this World Cup and its last week of group stage matches. I know people have said this before, but it bears repeating: the stolidity of the Afghans has been remarkable throughout this encounter. In this match as well as their other four victories in the tournament, at no stage have they looked too rushed. The dominance and calm in all their victories so far -- potentially including this one -- speaks to their meteoric rise. It was more visible in attitude than in results for the past couple of years, but now, they’re bearing the fruit of their success at the biggest stage. Hoping to see them in the semis.”
The best compliment you can pay Afghanistan is that, with six games to go in this long group stage, they still in control of their own destiny. Get this done against Australia, beat South Africa and make the final four. What a story that would be.
12th over: Australia 61-4 (Labuschagne 13, Maxwell 4) Target 292. Mujeeb replaces Naveen, who was brilliant. With the ball still hard enough, he’s going to remain a handful. But as it was with Warner earlier, in Maxwell he has an adversary who knows his weapons well. Four singles and a quiet over before drinks suits Australia.
11th over: Australia 57-4 (Labuschagne 11, Maxwell 2) Target 292. Atherton, Ponting and Watson take over on comms – lovely, soothing, normal. Can Australia tap into that and settle things down in the middle? A pulled boundary off danger man Azmat will help with that, Labuschagne into position early. He edged a ball earlier in the over, which didn’t quite make it to the cordon, but with soft hands that’s fine.
In 11 years of covering Mathews, never heard him so fired up.
— Andrew Fidel Fernando (@afidelf) November 7, 2023
Man's gonna start a war (that Sri Lanka will have to take a loan from Bangladesh to pay for). https://t.co/t61knhDSDe
10th over: Australia 52-4 (Labuschagne 6, Maxwell 2) Target 292. Alright, Naveen bowling his fifth off the top, which stands to reason given the way they have the ball has talked in this power play. After three probing dots to Labuschagne, who needs to bat for 30 overs and knows how to do just that, they call for the hammer to smash the surface down where the bowler is landing. Oooh, after the delay some more needle, this time because Rashid was moving sideways when the bowler was running in – he gets told off. A single to third man is their lot. Power play complete.
Meanwhile, it’s getting a bit ugly in the England camp, reports Ali Martin from Pune.
9th over: Australia 51-4 (Labuschagne 5, Maxwell 2) Target 292. Right, do we dare breathe? Maxwell has a very different role to play tonight and is off the mark with a couple out through mid-off, with that angled bat shot he plays so well. What an over. What an hour. Azmatullah is a superstar in the making, believe me on this.
Afghanistan losing to Bangladesh was the biggest upset in World Cup history.
— Cameron Ponsonby (@cameronponsonby) November 7, 2023
HE’S HIT IT! NOT OUT! Had it been pad, as they/we thought, it was gone. And how did it not make it through to the gloves of the wicketkeeper? SCENES.
IS IT A HAT-TRICK? IS MAXWELL LBW?! Upstairs we go! I reckon it’s out!!!!
WICKET! Inglis c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmat 0 (1) Australia 49-4
AZMATULLAH!!!!!! GO YOU GOOD THING!!!! In the channel to Inglis first ball, he has a little flirt and steers into the hands of the man who made Afghanistan’s first World Cup ton only a couple of hours ago, Ibbi Z making no mistake at slip. On a hat-trick!
WICKET! Warner b Azmat 18 (29) Australia 49-3
Azmatullah knocks him over! A fine maiden to Warner has surely contributed to this rash shot, trying to lift him over midwicket but not getting in the same postcode of a ball that’s ankling back at his middle stump, which it crashes into. What a celebration from the Afghanistan fielders – there’s something special brewing!
8th over: Australia 49-2 (Warner 18, Labuschagne 5) Target 292. Back to Naveen, who the Australians look to be playing out here rather than attacking – a smart play on the basis of what we’ve seen so far. After exchanging singles, Labuschagne is happy enough leaving him alone. But when he overpitches later on, the Queenslander doesn’t miss out, stroking a lovely off-drive for four. Good cricket.
Marnus going for it like Celine Dion in the anthem pic.twitter.com/Gcz2DgpeK2
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) November 7, 2023
7th over: Australia 43-2 (Warner 17, Labuschagne 0) Target 292. Ohhhh Azmat! That’s unplayable, cutting Warner in half from around the wicket, going over the leg stump by no more than a centimetre. It’s a superb over, never giving the veteran a chance to free his arms, let alone score. “And they’re letting him know about it too,” says Ian Smith. How far this Afghanistan team have come since 2015 when Australia hit their highest-ever World Cup score as they sharpened up for their semi-final. Meanwhile, Haydos is on commentary and it’s just a case of holding on tight.
6th over: Australia 43-2 (Warner 17, Labuschagne 0) Target 292. Labuschagne is the new man and gets a similar delivery to Marsh right away! He’s lucky it kissed the inside edge on the way through otherwise he’s heading back as well. Winviz has Afghanistan up at 61% now – sounds right to me. By the way, why not Smith at No4 here? Because he’s missing today after a bout of vertigo at training yesterday.
I made an error earlier repeating an error I heard somewhere earlier today – technically, Australia haven’t yet qualified for the semis. Don’t get me wrong, they’d need to get hammered here and by Bangladesh to miss out on NRR, but still.
WICKET! Marsh lbw b Naveen 24 (11) Austalia 43-2
Outstanding stuff! Naveen, who has been shaping the ball away from the left-handers, goes wide on the crease to Marsh as a result of the big West Australian clouting him back past his boots to begin then over then over square leg for six. The result is a nasty off-cutter, jagging past the inside edge and into the front pad. Given out on the field, Australia’s No3 doesn’t seriously consider a review. Game on!
5th over: Australia 33-1 (Warner 17, Marsh 14) Target 292. My guy Azmat gets an early go. I say my guy – Geoff Lemon and I have been stanning him throughout the tournament for both his enterprising batting and golden arm in the middle overs. And it nearly gets him a freakish wicket here too, Marsh trying to whip across the line the ball sailed and sailed and off the back of the bat for… SIX! Gosh, how’s that gone the journey rather than into the hands of deep third? He makes the most of the fortune straight away, cover driving the response for four – that’s Marsh at his best.
Ohh, now we get a look at a tasty chat after the last over with Warner and his old Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Rashid Khan – there’s no way to lipread but they’re not holding back. “This says a bit about their growth as a team,” says Ponting. “Any time the bowlers send down a good ball, they are getting in and letting them know.” Good point – when these teams played in Bristol in 2019 it proved a nice, gentle start to the group stage for Australia. It couldn’t feel any different to that right now.
4th over: Australia 19-1 (Warner 15, Marsh 3) Target 292. Naveen has it on a string here, beating Warner with an absolute beauty from around the wicket: angled in, full enough, swinging away late, too good for the edge. Ricky Ponting on telly ponders why Australia’s quicks haven’t been able to generate that kind of movement early too often in the group stage, adding that he would consider chucking the ball to Stoinis early on as a traditional swinger. As ever, whenever Ricky speaks it is worth paying attention. Excellent bowling – no easy runs here.
3rd over: Australia 16-1 (Warner 13, Marsh 3) Target 292. Mujeeb is an expert at keeping the stumps in play early on, whether that’s with his conventional off-break, the unconventional change-up flicked from the front of the hand, or his pacy googly. But Warner played has played so much against him on the T20 circuit he’s happy on the front foot when the spinner overpitches, driving through cover – a third boundary. He tries to go again from the final ball, on the sweep, but misses it.
2nd over: Australia 9-1 (Warner 8, Marsh 1) Target 292. Marsh, back in the country and into the XI after going home to see his grandfather before passing away, has a job to do here. He’s off the mark first ball, a yorker dug away for one. Warner’s turn to face the music and he’s dropped in the gully! Late movement, forward he strode, a thick edge that just carries to Rahmat who just gets a hand to it… but it doesn’t stick. They are up and about. But Warner keeps his cool, closing out the eventful over with a second boundary past point, timed through the gap to the rope.
A HUGE wicket for Afghanistan! 💥
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 7, 2023
Travis Head is GONE! ❌ pic.twitter.com/6dGAOcB7i6
WICKET! Head c Alikhil b Naveen 0 (2). Australia 4-1
A big breakthrough for Afghanistan! Naveen in the channel outside the off stump from around the wicket to the left-hander - he’s always having a dash. But with some nice movement through the air, he plays the wrong line and edges behind.
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1st over: Australia 3-0 (Warner 4, Head 0) Target 292. Little Davey W is away right away carving Mujeeb in front of point for four – just about his favourite shot in the second portion of his massive international career. He survives an lbw shout later in the over – it was sliding down leg anyway; no review – and no further runs come.
“Adam.” John Starbuck, hello. “Will the OBO team be running a table of the umpires’ bloopers at this WC? Or you could solicit opinions from OBO readers, preferably during the final game, eh? At the very least, such activity ought to prompt the ECB and ICC into looking at these decisions and pronouncing on them, with No Change not being an option.”
I’m of the Postecoglou school in terms of wanting officials treated with greater respect for the good of the game at large - moaning after the fact is surely never worse than it is now – and want to see technology used to help them. Generally speaking, along the lines of what I said before when it comes to specialisation.
Alright, the players are back on the field! Australia have already qualified for the semi-finals so the 292 required is the perfect challenge for their batting group: a record World Cup chase (for them), and the highest ever to win after dark at Mumbai. For that task, Travis Head and David Warner are racing to the middle. Mubeej, the genius Afghan spinner and powerplay specialist, has the ball. PLAY!
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Nicely summed up, JP. G’day all. Specialist TV umpires – they’re going to have to happen soon. It’s Chris Gaffaney today with Radhid/Stoinis, but it was Ashan Raza earlier in the tournament and it’ll be someone else next week. Brilliant umps, one and all, but the application of close-ups and audio waves isn’t the same gig.
I know this is a topic that gets people angry, and I appreciate that I’m investing a lot in the VAR/bunker model, but I sincerely believe that a team of audio-visual specialists, who work on every TV game between them, will end up landing at a happier, more consistent place for players and spectators, while saving the blushes of the those in the middle, who can crack on doing what’s taken them to the top.
What an afternoon for Afghanistan. Their highest score in world cup history. Their first centurion in world cup history. And a defendable total that gives them a fighting chance of one of the all-time upsets in the history of the sport – and possibly even passage to the semi-finals.
It was all built off the back of the patience of Ibrahim Zadran who stroked 129 runs from 143 balls, with his presence ensuring his side always had someone to bat around. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a brisk 25 at the top, then after Rahmat Shah (30) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (26) failed to kick on, the next three batters all scored at better than a run-a-ball. Azmatullah Omarzai (22) set the tone. Mohammad Nabi’s 12 included a six, and then Rashid Khan’s violent 18-ball 35 saw his side to the interval with all the momentum.
On a decent batting pitch Australia’s bowling and fielding kept the score in check for 45 overs, until the late assault. Josh Hazlewood (2/39) was the pick, with Mitchell Starc (1/70) again out of sorts.
After winning the toss Afghanistan batted first in part to maximise the conditions for their four spinners. There was also the benefit of not having to field in ferocious heat. After an energy sapping 50 overs in the Mumbai haze, Australia must now control a chase facing an attack stuffed with the kind of bowlers they are prone to struggle against.
A fascinating chase is in store. Adam Collins will bring you all the action.
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Australia need 292 to win
Game on in Mumbai.
50th over: Afghanistan 291-5 (Zadran 129, Rashid 35) Starc begins an over with a full toss to Rashid again – and this time it goes for runs – four of them, edged over short third. Then the best bowler in modern ODI cricket is smacked back over his head for six! Rashid is a fighter. SIX MORE! Oh boy. Rashid clears his front leg, then crouches, then somehow manipulates a forehand smash of a stroke over square leg!
Incredible finish for Afghanistan. They close their 50 overs on 291 – their highest world cup score.
49th over: Afghanistan 275-5 (Zadran 129, Rashid 19) Following those couple of sixes and that reviewed catch, there’s suddenly some tension out there in Mumbai. Cummins reads the room and brings himself on, bowling a superb mixture of short balls and cutters for three deliveries to keep Afghanistan to just a single. Zadran then gambles on ball four, picks the slower ball and launches it over cow corner for six! He follows that up with a classic square drive for four more! Brilliant batting. 14 off the penultimate over. Afghanistan have something for their spinners to bowl to.
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48th over: Afghanistan 261-5 (Zadran 117, Rashid 18) Starc gets away with a full toss to Rashid. Rashid gets away with bunting that full toss short of Head at long-off. It’s a rotation of strike that works gloriously as Zadran helps a leg-stump half volley into the grandstand with sumptuous timing. Rashid gets himself back in the action, whereupon he doesn’t aim strokes at the ball, he tries to obliterate it from existence. The first bash is fielded well in the ring at cover. The second flies off a thick edge all the way to the offside sweeper, Stoinis, who runs in, dives forward, and takes a beautiful catch. Of course it is sent upstairs and replayed to death, each angle and slo-mo making it look less out. Umpire Gaffaney then adopts the position of a prosecutor trying to find the “not out” frame. Eventually the decision is not out. What a mess.
47th over: Afghanistan 252-5 (Zadran 110, Rashid 16) Maxwell comes on to bowl so Rashid Khan removes his helmet and makes no secret of his intent to slog to leg. “I don’t like the look of that,” says Ricky Ponting as the ball is mullered over midwicket. Rashid then feints to do the same again but out-Maxwells Maxwell, somehow getting enough bat on a ball fired outside off from around the wicket to clear the cover ring and skip away for four.
Everything Afghanistan have done so far has been predicated on a late-innings assault. And here it is!
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46th over: Afghanistan 236-5 (Zadran 109, Rashid 2) Nine runs and the wicket from the over. Afghanistan are close to posting something reasonable.
WICKET! Nabi b Hazlewood 12 (Afghanistan 233-5)
Hooray! Six more for Afghanistan! This time it’s Nabi, pulling Hazlewood with a sweetly timed swipe.
Boooooo! Then he’s bowled neck and crop swinging all over a straight one.
45th over: Afghanistan 227-4 (Zadran 108, Nabi 6) Freed from the pressure of reaching his ton, Zadran gives himself room and deposits Zampa over long-on. The leg-spinner’s final over goes for 11 all-up and he ends with 1/58 from his 10.
100 to Ibrahim Zadran! (131 balls)
44th over: Afghanistan 216-4 (Zadran 101, Nabi 2) Back to Hazlewood from the pacer end and he hits his customary line and length, which makes Zadran’s battle to reach his century torturous. On 99 he faces two dots, then legs it after dabbing into the covers. A direct hit and he’s in despair. But the shy misses and it’s jubilation for Afghanistan’s first world cup centurion! What a moment in the country’s sporting history.
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43rd over: Afghanistan 212-4 (Zadran 98, Nabi 1) A wicket and just three runs from Zampa’s ninth over. A record-equalling sixth three-wicket haul in a row looks unlikely, but he’s done a good job again.
“I’m so in love with Afghanistan,” beams Dean Kinsella. “All the (mostly Australian) tv commentary is that the scoring is too slow. I don’t see it like that. Plenty of wickets left, a couple of monster overs, 300 is in reach.”
WICKET! Azmat c Maxwell b Zampa 22 (Afghanistan 210-4)
Azmat continues his late innings assault but he plonks Zampa straight down long-off’s throat, screaming in primal rage as he watches Maxwell hold a simple catch.
42nd over: Afghanistan 209-3 (Zadran 96, Azmat 22) Afghanistan try to maintain their intensity against Cummins but the bowling and fielding is too good. Stoinis in the deep and Labuschagne in the ring both cover themselves in glory as Australia keep the game on their terms.
Back to being timed out, Ewan Glenton has joined in the conversation. “I can imagine someone in Mathews’ position making a hurried, pressured decision like ‘Oh dear, something’s wrong with my helmet but I can’t be timed out, we might lose or I might lose my place in the team, so I’ll just have to face the next ball without it’. If that happens and the batter gets injured of killed then they’ll have to change the rule, adding something like ‘except in the case of safety equipment malfunction’. That probably won’t happen, so they can leave it for now and just worry about it if it does happen, as is usually the case with these things.” Absolutely. It’s also the kind of thing my brain locates at 3am the night before a game. Then I wake up in a cold sweat checking my kit bag for my box, gloves, etc…
41st over: Afghanistan 204-3 (Zadran 92, Azmat 21) Can Afghanistan accelerate in this final 10-over powerplay? Oooh, maybe. Azmat smacks his second six of the day, launching Zampa back over his head with a crisp blow. There are still plenty of dots around that shot, but the 200 is now up, with 300 a not unreasonable target with so many wickets in hand.
40th over: Afghanistan 195-3 (Zadran 90, Azmat 14) Cummins decides he wants a piece of the action and his third delivery creates some rare incident after it ricochets off Azmat’s helmet and away for four leg-byes. The mandatory concussion check follows but the batter is ok. He proves it by stepping to leg and clawing a ball from outside off through wide midwicket for a very scruffy but effective boundary. The over eventually costs those four extras plus seven off the bat, the last of which was a ramp down to third from Zadran that almost reaches Starc on the full.
39th over: Afghanistan 184-3 (Zadran 88, Azmat 9) Cummins returns to Maxwell, even though the TV graphic says Head. Makes me reminisce of the days sat in a draughty scorer’s hut yelling “BOWLER’S NAME!” until I’m blue in the face.
38th over: Afghanistan 179-3 (Zadran 86, Azmat 6) Azmatullah Omarzai is the new batter and he goes dot dot six! The scoring shot is majestic, timing the ball without fanfare back over the bowler’s head beautifully. Afghanistan need plenty more of that to post a competitive total on a good pitch.
WICKET! Shahidi b Starc 26 (Afghanistan 173-3)
Starc has hinted at some reverse with his full deliveries. Shahidi has hinted at some recklessness with his occasional foray down the pitch. The two worlds collide to devastating effect with batter missing and bowler hitting. All that grind for 43 balls for a dismissal like that. Bleurgh.
37th over: Afghanistan 173-2 (Zadran 86, Shahidi 26) Cummins goes back to the part-timer Travis Head, perhaps as bait to tempt Afghanistan into a reckless stroke or two. It doesn’t work. The bowling is too tight, and the batting too conservative.
The discussion throughout play so far has been around the spirit of cricket and the impact of Angelo Mathews being timed out. In a stroke of supreme serendipity the greatest talker in cricket – Stuart Broad – has just been musing on the topic with the best interviewer in the business – Donald McRae. Tuck in.
36th over: Afghanistan 169-2 (Zadran 84, Shahidi 24) Cummins has rotated his pacemen smartly from one end, sharing the load, which means it’s time for Starc’s third spell of the day. He begins around the wicket after struggling with the foot holes from over the wicket, then immediately slings down a wide when he returns back over. He grows into his work through and almost sneaks a trademark yorker through Shahidi, a delivery that showed hints of reverse swing.
35th over: Afghanistan 165-2 (Zadran 82, Shahidi 23) Another over, another mixture of dots and singles, another indication both sides are happy with how this match is progressing. The only moment of note was a massive legside wide that made me feel better about my part-time net-bowling leggies.
34th over: Afghanistan 159-2 (Zadran 80, Shahidi 21) Hazlewood continues after drinks, keeping things tight for Australia in an over that contains another tasty short ball at Shahidi from around the wicket.
33rd over: Afghanistan 156-2 (Zadran 78, Shahidi 20) Zampa’s sixth over is his best of the match so far. Plenty of whip in the action, everything landing on a good length with a variety of flight and pace. Afghanistan can only muster two singles and both batters survive mistimed leading edges.
32nd over: Afghanistan 154-2 (Zadran 78, Shahidi 19) Hazlewood is too good to get away this over. He finds that line and length you can picture with your eyes closed, going for just two singles and beating Shahidi twice, once on the outside – conventionally – once on the inside, with the Afghanistan skipper missing with the ugliest mow I’ve seen this world cup. Good intent at least, shame about the execution.
31st over: Afghanistan 153-2 (Zadran 77, Shahidi 18) Sensing a change in intensity Cummins calls on Zampa, his main risk-reward bowler. And Zadran immediately answers my question from the previous over by crashing a fierce cover-drive for four. Shahidi follows suit, driving too straight for the long-on sweeper to intercept for another boundary. Here we go!
30th over: Afghanistan 142-2 (Zadran 72, Shahidi 13) Can Hazlewood make something happen? Yes, sort of. Shahidi takes a couple of steps down the pitch to the paceman’s second ball and slaps him for a couple through midwicket. The rest of the over is singles as Afghanistan like the look of the opening bowler without being able to grab him by the scruff of the neck. Will that more purposeful mindset carry over?
29th over: Afghanistan 136-2 (Zadran 70, Shahidi 9) Another middling middle over. Maxwell goes for three.
The cricket’s been dull for good hour or so now, so feel free to do something else, like watch Jeremy Deller’s visual essay about rave culture in Great Britain in the late 1980s.
28th over: Afghanistan 133-2 (Zadran 69, Shahidi 8) Cummins returns to his bouncer barrage at Shahidi and after evading the previous four, the Afghanistan captain hooks one down to fine leg for four. Cummins responds with another bouncer then the supposed wicket ball – a slower yorker – but Shahidi is switched on to it.
27th over: Afghanistan 128-2 (Zadran 69, Shahidi 3) I hereby declare this innings as drifting. Maxwell goes for four in another over containing little intent from either side. If this was a computer game you’d fast-forward until over 40 and skip this dross.
26th over: Afghanistan 124-2 (Zadran 66, Shahidi 2) With Shahidi on strike Cummins immediately brings himself back on and begins with consecutive short balls into the left-hander from around the wicket. After the strike is rotated Cummins’ third ball to Shahidi is aimed similarly. Is this the main event or a bluff? Bluff The final ball of the over is a wicket yorker from the hand of one skipper to the toes of another, but it’s dug out well and Afghanistan soldier on.
25th over: Afghanistan 122-2 (Zadran 65, Shahidi 1) Maxwell with the breakthrough just as Afghanistan were trying to up the tempo. Big job now for the skipper Shahidi, the first left-hander in the Afghanistan side.
WICKET! Shah c Hazlewood b Maxwell 30 (Afghanistan 120-2)
Out of nowhere this becalmed partnership bursts into life, and it brings about a soft dismissal almost immediately with Shah lofting Maxwell straight to Hazlewood at long off.
24th over: Afghanistan 117-1 (Zadran 62, Shah 29) Time for bowler No 7, a man by the name of Marcus Stoinis, and he gives up just two singles with his heavy cutters into the pitch.
“Speaking of fair play - maybe I imagined it but I thought the ICC had a policy once of not allowing a men’s team to play in international tournaments if there was no national women’s team. (I can’t see an Afghan women’s team emerging any time soon when girls aren’t even allowed to go to school.) Or did I dream it?” Excellent email Jane Higgins.
Here are a couple of links from last year when this issue was at the top of the agenda, since when it has faded from view.
23rd over: Afghanistan 115-1 (Zadran 61, Shah 28) With Zampa not making anything happen Cummins returns to Maxwell to save one of his trump cards for later. A speedy over worth four singles is the result.
22nd over: Afghanistan 111-1 (Zadran 59, Shah 26) A boundary! And I missed it! Channel 9 in Australia just cut to some tennis without me realising. Did I miss a warning? Anyway, eight from Head’s second over.
“A case for the defence/devil’s advocate/Steve Waugh ruthlessness,” from Brenden Fawkes. “As a captain of your nation at a WC, its your job & duty to use every mode of dismissal available while in the field. Also, Mathews had how many hours to make sure the equipment required for his job was up to scratch? He is just as culpable.” Absolutely correct.
21st over: Afghanistan 103-1 (Zadran 58, Shah 19) Another over of mutually beneficial mundanity. Four singles from it. Zampa remains unthreatening.
Not Angeloed, @JPHowcroft , Shakibed.
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) November 7, 2023
20th over: Afghanistan 99-1 (Zadran 56, Shah 17) Bowler number six for Australia is Travis Head, and he rattles through an over of darts in quick time for the concession of just three singles. Both teams seem to be happy with how everything is meandering out there. Afghanistan are biding their time to attack with wickets in hand, Australia will feel confident of chasing anything under 350.
19th over: Afghanistan 96-1 (Zadran 55, Shah 15) “England’s man of the tournament,” muses Michael Atherton, as the camera zooms in on Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott. “No competition.” Trott watches his second wicket pair nudge three runs from another Zampa over containing little of note.
“Re: Ponting as a commentator, I have mixed feelings,” emails Snehal. “He seems to forget far too often what his new role is, and there is only so often that one can take the prescriptive ‘Bring fine leg squarer and.. “, which also goes for the likes of Gavaskar. A little bit of occasional dead air when there is nowt but the sound of the game, the murmur of the crowd and the tense silence of expectation in a well poised game would do wonders to improve the standing of any commentator in my book.” I will respectfully disagree with your first point, and wholeheartedly agree with your second. Silence is golden.
18th over: Afghanistan 93-1 (Zadran 54, Shah 13) Not the kind of day you want to be bowling a ten-ball over, but that’s what Starc does when he loses his line, bowling three wides down the legside and one outside off. He’s also lucky not to be punished for runs off the bat after leaking onto Shah’s hip, then hurling a gimme wide of off stump. As is the way of course, with the universe, karma, swings and roundabouts and things evening themselves out, Starc is then thick-edged for four wide of the diving Inglis. Those runs come off the blade of Zadran, who brings up a very composed half cenutry.
17th over: Afghanistan 80-1 (Zadran 47, Shah 10) Four singles from another nondescript Zampa over. Were Afghanistan a side with title-winning aspirations we would probably be criticising the run-rate and conservative nature of the innings so far. As it is, they are doing a fine job of keeping their heads, knowing conditions are in their favour to pinch an unlikely result later on.
Question: in the way that running out the non-striker became known as the Mankad, do we now refer to being timed out as being Angeloed? For example: I almost got Angeloed during the drinks break putting the bins out during a thunderstorm.
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16th over: Afghanistan 75-1 (Zadran 45, Shah 9) Starc is back for his second spell and he finds a very tidy line and length from the off, angling the ball away from the right-handers from over the wicket. One of those beats Zadran’s outside edge, but there’s no nick.
The commentators on the TV are reinforcing the point at every opportunity how hot it is in Mumbai, and how dry the surface is. Fielding in these conditions is not easy, nor is bowling pace. Time for a drink.
15th over: Afghanistan 73-1 (Zadran 43, Shah 8) Big moment in this innings with Adam Zampa brought into the attack. He gets away with two full tosses in his opening three deliveries as Afghanistan work him around for five singles. Bit of an anti-climax.
14th over: Afghanistan 68-1 (Zadran 40, Shah 6) Ibrahim Zadran, take a bow son. Just short of a length from Cummins and the opener casually rocks back and executes the coolest ramp you could imagine. One bounce for four directly over the keeper. Magnificent.
“Further to the points in Over 10,” emails John Starbuck, “I recall, when helmets began to be compulsory, that some grounds had deliberate cavities built behind the wickets to hold these, along with spare drinks, emergency medical aid etc. There was no question that five runs would be awarded for hitting them with the ball and the grass was allowed to grow over them so no-one could see any difference. Whatever happened to them?”
13th over: Afghanistan 61-1 (Zadran 33, Shah 6) Four singles from Maxwell’s latest, despite Afghanistan showing plenty of intent.
12th over: Afghanistan 57-1 (Zadran 31, Shah 4) Just two singles from Cummins’ second over.
“Sunil Gavaskar, who faced Roberts and Marshall without a helmet, must have had a good laugh yesterday after Matthews was timed out,” emails Krishnanmoorthy. That’s an interesting aspect to this debate because the timed out law will have been written before compulsory safety equipment. Considering how awkward helmets and the rest can be to put on, it’s a wonder something like this hasn’t happened sooner and often.
11th over: Afghanistan 55-1 (Zadran 30, Shah 3) Lovely from Zadran, rocking back and – to quote Shane Watson – just tapping one on the head for four behind point. That was the highlight of a productive over for Afghanistan, Maxwell going for nine.
“Just reflecting on your comments in the 4th over and what would help with the in-joke matey stuff,” emails Nina. “You should add Mel Jones to that list, great to listen to, brings another perspective and insight. Always love to listen to her on Sky comms. I think the in-joke matey stuff can sound like such a boys club too, and that needs to be broken up to move forward too!” Absolutely. More female voices, more non-Australian voices, in general more voices that don’t sound like they’ve come straight from the golf course or the punt together, bringing their badinage baggage with them.
10th over: Afghanistan 46-1 (Zadran 24, Shah 0) Pat Cummins brings himself on but Zadran welcomes him to the crease with an authoritative cover drive that made that satisfying crack sound off the bat. That was the only attacking shot of the over, but Afghanistan still gain an extra run when Inglis needlessly throws down the stumps and concedes an overthrow.
Geoff Wignall with some lateral thinking. “On this question of the time taken up by glove changes and unscheduled drinks, it’s common practice for fielding helmets to be placed behind the keeper when not in use. Couldn’t the same be done for spare gloves and batters’ drinks bottles (with the ball declared dead if it hits them)?”
9th over: Afghanistan 41-1 (Zadran 19, Shah 0) Zadran looks to attack, knowing the powerplay restrictions are soon to end, but he can only muster three off Maxwell. The Australian allrounder is enjoying a super tournament with bat and ball.
Ben Bernards reinforces Gary Naylor’s earlier tweet. “There’s a reason nobody has been dismissed timed out in international cricket over the course of 140-odd years. It’s unnecessary, doesn’t gain the batsman any advantage (certainly in this case where he was on the field but his helmet wasn’t up to the job). The umpire should at least have been able to say ‘face up now and change the helmet between overs’.”
WICKET! Gurbaz c Starc b Hazlewood 21 (Afghanistan 38-1)
Just as I was typing how Afghanistan have not given any cheap powerplay wickets away, they give a cheap powerplay wicket away. It was a routine delivery from Hazlewood and Gurbaz flipped it artfully to the legside. I just assumed it was a four, but out of the shadows emerged Starc to pouch a handy catch. I wonder if the batter also failed to recognise where the fielder was stationed?
8th over: Afghanistan 38-1 (Zadran 16)
Australia lose a review
Hazlewood cuts Zadran in half with a wicked off-cutter. Inglis takes it superbly behind the stumps, diving to leg, and is convinced there’s an edge, but the review shows the ball clipped pocket, not bat, on the way through.
7th over: Afghanistan 33-0 (Gurbaz 21 Zadran 11) Unsurprisingly, with his seamers doing nothing, Cummins goes to Maxwell to see if there’s any turn – and there is. Afghanistan knock the ball around for three singles, but they will have been happy to see so much grip, considering the make-up of their attack.
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6th over: Afghanistan 30-0 (Gurbaz 20 Zadran 9) Afghanistan have chanced their arm with a couple of quick singles recently that have offered little reward for the accompanying risk. On the first Pat Cummins missed with his shy from mid-off, then Hazlewood failed to hit the target with his right instep, slicing an effort just over the apex of post and bar with the diving batter not even in the picture.
I like this from Gary Naylor. It applies equally to the nonsense that is VAR in football. Don’t distort the game indefinitely, just tell people to stop whinging and get over it.
Forget The Spirit of Cricket canard @JPHowcroft, we just need the umpires to apply the Laws, specifically this one. Excessive appealing is already controlled.
— Gary Naylor 85 (@garynaylor85) November 7, 2023
2.6 Fair and unfair play
The umpires shall be the sole judges of fair and unfair play. https://t.co/CFTkUGiCHL
5th over: Afghanistan 27-0 (Gurbaz 19 Zadran 8) Starc is going through one of those phases where he seems to be placing the ball where he wants it to go, instead of hurling it there with malice aforethought. It means the wider deliveries are unthreatening, forcing him to bowl straighter and be milked for runs. And then the one ball he does bend his back sending down gets pulled for four! It was short, legsidey, and Gurbaz did very well to get inside the line and work fine.
4th over: Afghanistan 20-0 (Gurbaz 13 Zadran 7) Gurbaz does get his boundary eventually, and, like Zadran, it is a handsome cover drive. Nothing dramatic happening in the air or off the pitch for Australia. Plenty of runs out there for Afghanistan if they can keep their heads.
Here’s another talking point for you. The standard of Australian TV commentary has declined dramatically in a generation – but there are signs of an upturn during this world cup. Aaron Finch has started promisingly, adding plenty of value as a recent captain; Shane Watson is thoughtful and engaged; Ricky Ponting is sublime. Now all we need is for them to bring this kind of effort to the domestic summer and not be consumed by the in-joke matey guff that takes us all for fools.
3rd over: Afghanistan 13-0 (Gurbaz 6 Zadran 7) Ibrahim Zadran crashes the first boundary of the day through extra cover. Gurbaz came close a couple of deliveries prior, but Travis Head hauled in a long chase at long-on to keep the shot to just three. Confident start from Afghanistan on what likes a good batting deck.
John Starbuck offers an alternative perspective on getting-through-the-gate-gate. “On the other hand, if Mathews had stepped aside and said he saw someone in his line of sight/moving against the sightscreen etc. he could have been accommodated perfectly legally. Either we need to get rid of the timed out law or the umpires should be empowered to say ‘Stop playing silly buggers and get on with it’ to such an appeal. As TMS said yesterday ‘if he’d been prepared but tapped his bat a the crease, and it broke, that would have been OK too.”
Imagine inventing this sport and its compound nonsense. How are they going to explain this to casual Olympic viewers in 2028?
2nd over: Afghanistan 6-0 (Gurbaz 3 Zadran 3) Josh Hazlewood shares opening duties and he begins on his trademark line and length. One beats the outside edge, one is nudged down the ground for a single, one is forced on the up to cover, the remainder are forward defences.
Adam’s on later. He’s warming up nicely.
Marnus going for it like Celine Dion in the anthem pic.twitter.com/Gcz2DgpeK2
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) November 7, 2023
1st over: Afghanistan 5-0 (Gurbaz 2 Zadran 3) Starc begins full and wide outside off stump, striving from some late swing, with a hint of shape coming back into the two right-handers. Then he slings down an unplayable delivery that seemed to wobble three ways between leaving his hand, pitching, and scudding in and out of Inglis’ hard hands. The line continues to shift towards the on-side next ball, but that allows Zadran the chance to nudge runs through square-leg – three of them.
Responding to my comment from earlier about whether batters changing gloves a lot should face a similar punishment to being timed out, James Turley is conclusive. “Yes there should,” he emails. “The amount of time the batters waste during innings is ridiculous and needs to stop. And they don’t need a drink after a quickly run two, either.”
There we go, we just fixed cricket. You’re welcome.
The anthems in Mumbai flew by while I put my eight-year-old to bed. Now it’s time to settle in ready for Mitchell Starc to send down the opening over of the day. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is on strike.
Updated
“Nice preamble,” emails Dan Hagan. I think he means the MCC’s Preamble to the Laws of the Game , not my introduction to today’s match (below).
“It reminds me of Orwell’s 6 Rules for Writing. Rules 1-5 are along the lines of “never use a long word when a short one will do”, “if a word can be cut out, cut it”, etc. Rule 6 is “Break any of these rules rather than say anything outright barbarous”. The MCC’s preamble feels like “Refrain from enforcing any of the following rules rather than be outright barbarous”. The problem is that writers love style, but professional sportsmen (and most of their fans) love only results. Barbarity, within the rules, is simply ruthless pragmatism. It takes a very rare sportsman to set this aside. Gilchrist’s walking habit (e.g. 2003 semi-final) comes to mind. But would even he have walked so regularly if he were a lesser talent and it might have cost him his career? As always, we’re outraged when the opposition are that ruthless, but secretly pleased when our own lads or lasses are.”
Well put Dan.
“Matthews hasn’t got a leg to stand on,” emails Quicknstraight. “He should have ensured his equipment was in full working condition before he walked out. The fact that it took him more than the allotted two minutes to even discover his helmet was defective is ridiculous.”
I’m not disagreeing – but – it leads me to ask: how much time do batters soak up changing gloves during an innings? Should there also be a time limit on that kind of behaviour if we’re going to start clamping down on the pace of the game?
Disappointing lack of massive no-balls here. Nets have changed.
📹: Glimpses from last night's practice session as @HamidHassanHH oversees the fast bowlers preparing for today's game against @CricketAus 👍#AfghanAtalan | #CWC23 | #AFGvAUS | #WarzaMaidanGata pic.twitter.com/POmGCx42D2
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) November 7, 2023
“Is this the point at which one recalls that Mark Waugh’s nickname was Afghanistan… Because he was the forgotten Waugh.” Lovely stuff from Amar Breckenridge.
I think it was bestowed on Junior by teammates in the Essex changing room during his first stint in county cricket. It was in reference to the ‘Forgotten War’ of the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan in the late 1970s.
With relevant caveats, I can’t imagine such a politically savvy moniker emerging in contemporary times.
Afghanistan choose to bat against Australia with four spinners to follow. This either gets really interesting later this evening or the first innings is all out 110. #CWC23
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 7, 2023
I will take either scenario. The former adds to the intrigue of the competition. The latter means I get to bed before midnight here in Melbourne.
Adam Zampa is going to be crucial for Australia in the field this afternoon. He began the tournament looking at risk of failing to land his leggies on the cut strip. Now he has the longest streak in world cup history of taking three or more wickets. If he continues that run today he will equal the ODI record of Umar Gul.
Fielding first today is going to be hellish. It’s roasting hot in Mumbai (35C) with the stifling conditions made worse by poor air quality.
Then there’s the pitch; a batting paradise. 399, 382, and 357 have already been posted at the Wankhede Stadium batting first this tournament, with the ground boasting the highest average of sixes per match.
Afghanistan XI
One change for Afghanistan with Naveen-ul-Haq coming in for Fazalhaq Farooqi in the attack.
Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Noor Ahmad
Australia XI
Looks like Australia have hoodwinked us this afternoon. Smith is not fit enough to play after all so Labuschagne retains his place for now. I hope he keeps those sweet sweet Pegasuses on. As expected, Green misses out as well with Marsh and Maxwell coming straight back in.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan win the toss and elect to bat
“The wicket looks good now and we hope it will spin and seam later,” explains Hashmatullah Shahidi
Some sad news before we head to the toss with the greatest cricket channel on YouTube – and by a massive margin – shuttered for the time being, and potentially forever. Say it ain’t so!
This is like burning the Great Library of Alexandria. The people who did it should be found. https://t.co/NyIWFxll3x
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 5, 2023
This is very sad for cricket fans around the world. Rob has arguably done more to organically spread love and appreciation of the game’s history through video than anyone. And much would have been lost without his incredible archive. https://t.co/Ct1mCNdxsz
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) November 5, 2023
🚨 NEW WEEKLY EP: Save Robelinda2
— The Final Word (@Final_Word_Pod) November 7, 2023
Imagine someone dynamiting the Louvre. The cricket equivalent has happened, with the magical YouTube channel @robelinda2 being brought down. We speak to Rob about his life's cricketing work.
🍎https://t.co/8KcbhOY59b
🟢https://t.co/sj7HldcUXs pic.twitter.com/DJZdBCoUxc
Steve Smith recovering from vertigo, Glenn Maxwell recovering from falling off a golf buggy, and Mitch Marsh returning after dashing back to Australia, means a couple of players are going to be squeezed out of the Australian XI.
Cameron Green has already resigned himself to his fate, and judging by this image of Marnus Labuschagne conducting fielding drills in keeping gloves and superb beige Nike Air Pegasus 83 sneakers, he will be joining Alex Carey and Sean Abbott on the bench.
🧤#CWC23 pic.twitter.com/HTuivVFbxA
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 7, 2023
That previous comment relates to what happened yesterday when Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first man to be timed out in international cricket. He was, as you might expect, furious.
It re-energised that weary old zombie “the spirit of cricket”, which by the day is looking more and more anachronistic as non-striker run-outs, batter dissent, the whole Jonny Bairstow shemozzle, and now this, testify.
Feel free to send me your thoughts on the incident, and your perspective on the Preamble to the Laws, which appears to have ambled out of usefulness. Here’s Geoff to kick things off.
It is very funny that cricket has all these Laws detailing ways you can be dismissed but it’s considered unacceptably rude to actually enforce them.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 6, 2023
The standing umpires today are Englishmen Alex Wharf and Michael Gough. Wharf, as you’ll see below, has a textbook technique for signalling six runs. Straight back, braced core, feet shoulder width apart, accessories clipped to his tool-belt like Batman and not a hint of sweat underneath those perfectly raised arms.
New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney is watching on the telly. I wonder if he’ll have to time anybody out today?
Geoff Lemon witnessed Australia put England out of their misery on Saturday with a performance that was far from perfect, but still too good for the vanquished champions.
There is the search for the perfect game, but then there is the acknowledgment that the result is the result. Especially once you reach knockout tournament play, simply getting a job done matters far more than how.
Steve Smith has reported vertigo symptoms this week, but he appears fit to play. There is a chance Australia will have a full squad to choose from for the first time this world cup.
Good signs for Australia this afternoon at the Wankhede. Steve Smith is the first of the Aussies out on the ground. Has faced throwdowns for quite some time and looks to be talking tactics with Andrew McDonald #CWC23
— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) November 7, 2023
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of match 39 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Australia v Afghanistan will get under way in Mumbai at 2pm local time (7.30pm AEDT/8.30am GMT).
With five wins in a row, Australia have overcome a rocky start to the tournament to now be on the cusp of a spot in the knockout phase. Moreover, they seem destined to avoid the poisoned chalice that is fourth place on the group table, and a meeting with India in the semi-finals.
Australia have done all this without yet piecing everything together. For various reasons they have yet to name a first-choice XI, and the working parts of the side have not all clicked simultaneously. Depending how you look at things there is a lot more still to come from the perennial contenders, or they have ridden a fair amount of luck to this point that will eventually even itself out.
Afghanistan also remain in the mix for a semi-final berth, but with Australia today and South Africa to follow, their prospects are much dimmer. However, with four victories in the bank, this has already been a World Cup to remember, and the underdogs are already assured of a spot in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
That should do for now, so settle in while I steer you through the pregame and first innings, after which Adam Collins will see you through to the end of play.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
