The Afghanistan cricketers and support staff spent their entire Thursday afternoon living on hope and a prayer.
They had to address a sponsored event, but the eyes of the entourage frequently darted towards their smartphone screens to find out about the scores of the New Zealand vs Sri Lanka World Cup fixture in Bengaluru.
By the time they reached the Narendra Modi Stadium for their optional training session on the eve of the last group league fixture against South Africa, Afghanistan’s hopes were dented further.