Australia [209/3] defeat Afghanistan [207] by 7 wickets in the 4th match of the Cricket World Cup

[Chokli]

I think you need some time off from cricket. You've been seriously affected by Pak's loss against WI. You're in a deep trauma right now. I'm not even joking.

Nah, I've taken off the green tinted glasses.

By 2023 Pakistan will be playing the qualifiers [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION]

 

[Arsalan Pro]

But not as fast as Pakistani batting line up collapses.

Yeah, one collapse after becoming the first team to cross 340 in 3 consecutive matches.

 

[Chokli]

Yeah, one collapse after becoming the first team to cross 340 in 3 consecutive matches.

Yet losing.

Focus on the match and take off your green tinted glasses.

 

[Chokli]

This is poor by Afghanistan, need to attack and bring on Rashid

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Warner is struggling here

 

[Ronaldo7]

You can tell that the crowd is mostly afghani when a correct decision is booed at

 

[Green Patriot]

Finch taking revenge for Zampa.

 

[AAli98]

Aus v Ind final coming up rest are chokers.

 

[Amirforpresident]

This is poor by Afghanistan, need to attack and bring on Rashid

I always thought that you are a Pakistani

 

[jnaveen1980]

This is poor by Afghanistan, need to attack and bring on Rashid

Seriously. They allowed the openers to completely settle down and then they bring him on.

 

[Chokli]

I always thought that you are a Pakistani

I don't know what I am anymore

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Yet losing.

Focus on the match and take off your green tinted glasses.

Losing close matches against number 1 team. It's better before telling others to apply it to yourself rather than quoting true Pakistani fans. Who knows tomorrow you might be a Bangladeshi if a miracle happens and focused towards that match.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Captain gets Captain

Game on hai bhai

 

[Chokli]

Losing close matches against number 1 team. It's better before telling others to apply it to yourself rather than quoting true Pakistani fans. Who knows tomorrow you might be a Bangladeshi if a miracle happens and focused towards that match.

Lol only one match was close and was winnable from only 32 to get off 18 balls.

Pakistani team just doesn't have it in them to win games.

Minnows.

 

[Chokli]

With a new batsman at the crease they need to attack, no point having fielders on the boundary

 

[Amirforpresident]

I don't know what I am anymore

No I'm serious, like I thought that u used to have a Pakistani flag

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Wasim is such an awful commentator

 

[Justcrazy]

Rashid Khan has been expensive so far

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Wasim is such an awful commentator

He is 1/4 Aussie now

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Lol only one match was close and was winnable from only 32 to get off 18 balls.

Pakistani team just doesn't have it in them to win games.

Minnows.

Yet they win ICC trophies without winning games.

India last won 6 years ago and Bangladesh in their dreams. Minnows.

 

[topspin]

Shehzad needs to stop eating Afghani kebab

 

[Titan24]

Rashid Khan has been expensive so far

Wicket isnt allowing spin like it did in warm up match for him.

 

[The Viper]

Afghanistan 207

Australia 155/1 (24.3/50 ov, target 208)

Australia crusing to victory.

 

[Mueez]

The lack of respect for the country by our players.

Valid point.

 

[IAJ]

Australia showing how to treat these spinners, no matter how the wicket is. Zampa tok 3 wickets here.

Only a myth that Pakistani or SC players play spin better.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Smith should be batting at 3

 

[jnaveen1980]

Australia especially warner is putting an exhibition of how to construct a ODI innings without taking risks. Amazing running between the wickets. Stamina is good.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

I like Finch, he seems like a humble man. Different than arrogant Smith. Go Aussies, my third team now

 

[MenInG]

The fond memories of 2015 came rolling back for Mitchell Starc after beginning his ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup campaign in near-identical fashion to his crowning moment.

Four years ago the rangy, left-arm fast bowler immediately dented New Zealand hopes in the first over of the World Cup final when he clean-bowled Brendon McCullum for a duck, his third delivery to the dynamic Kiwi captain.

With their most destructive batsman back in the pavilion, New Zealand were unable to post a suitably-competitive total and the Australians went on to win the trophy for the fifth time.

Fast forward to the present day and Starc – who had played just three ODIs in the past 16 months – was back at it all over again.

After taking the new ball for the opening over against Afghanistan in Australia’s opening match on a still, hot day in Bristol, Starc’s opening delivery was a Yorker close to 145kmh.

Opener Mohammad Shahzad stabbed the ball in front of his feet with minimal footwork. He dealt with the second ball, also a full delivery, in similar fashion.

The third ball swung in late at pace to the right-hander, a replica of the delivery which accounted for McCullum in Melbourne, and Shahzad, whose feet this time had not moved at all, was struck on the pads and given out lbw.

After conceding only ten runs in his opening three overs, Starc was rested, returning for the 15th over, a maiden in which one of his deliveries exceeded 145km.

He bowled one further over before Aaron Finch, who switched his bowlers around constantly throughout the Afghanistan innings, took him out of the attack again and finished with 1/31 from his seven overs.

Starc took 22 wickets at 10.18 each with an economy rate of 3.50 at the 2015 tournament, earning him the player of the tournament award and joint top spot in the wicket-taker’s list, alongside fellow left-armer Trent Boult of New Zealand.

But since then he has been troubled by muscle injuries which have raised concerns in Australia, for both the World Cup and the Ashes series that follows in England.

His last one-day international was against South Africa last November and he was subsequently sidelined with a pectoral muscle injury after the end of a Test series against Sri Lanka in February, in which he took ten wickets in Canberra.

Since the 2017 Champions Trophy he had played only seven one-day internationals.

Signs that Starc was his way to a full recovery came in the second of three warmup matches against a New Zealand XI at Allan Border Field in the Brisbane suburb of Albion where he took 2/14 from five overs, dismissing Hamish Rutherford first ball, and generally impressing with his pace.

Now, after a decent workout in the sun, the 29-year-old will have four days to recover before his next challenge.

That test will come in the form of the West Indies at Trent Bridge on 5 June, a duel with Chris Gayle and co that will certainly whet the appetite on a ground where runs are usually scored for fun.

And if Starc does what Starc does best, that flow will be stemmed sooner rather than later.

 

[MenInG]

Mirwais Ashraf: Afghanistan should have bowled first in Australia defeat

I think the decision to bat first was key to the game in Bristol.

My belief is we should have bowled on that track because we chased with success against Pakistan on a similar wicket at the same ground in the warm-up game.

After batting first, we lost a couple of early wickets in the top-order and struggled to create partnerships throughout.

Building partnerships has always been crucial for our team, so to lose a couple of wickets early was a blow.

It’s difficult to be too critical because Australia are a strong side and world champions. They have a very strong bowling attack and have now added David Warner and Steve Smith to their team too.

For me, they are the second favourites to win the competition.

Against a respected side, Afghanistan didn’t play bad cricket.

The main issue was the collapse of the batting. There was a weakness both against fast bowling and spin.

A couple of good batsmen didn’t totally click at the County Ground. The top-order collapsed pretty quickly, as did the middle-order.

There was only one partnership for Afghanistan throughout the innings between the captain Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran, which wasn’t enough in the end.

Scoring 207 was below par on this wicket. It wasn’t really seaming or turning that much, so I think 260 or 270 would have been about right in the circumstances.

In terms of positives, the way we bowled wasn’t bad. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman both bowled well, but it was a case of the total not being enough for them to defend it.

There wasn’t that much support today for the spinners, we didn’t really see much turn or grip, so maybe against another team and on another wicket, Rashid can make the difference.

I hope that in the next few games, there will be slightly more support from the pitch for the spinners.

The wickets at the moment are very flat and very dry. We have quality spinners who can make the breakthrough at any time.

It’s a tournament and all the bowlers will have to make an impact.

Of the seamers, Hamid Hassan appears to be in a good rhythm while Aftab Alam is a good medium-pacer. I hope they will perform very well in the next game.

I knew from the start that we were facing some very strong sides in these conditions. Playing England, Australia and South Africa here is not easy.

But there are games Afghanistan can target to pick up wins.

Recently in the Asia Cup, we beat our next opponents, Sri Lanka. After that, morale and confidence should be high for Tuesday's game among the boys. I think they can beat them again.

For me, the key to the game will be the bowling, as both sides are pretty similar in terms of level.

 

[light]

Atleast Afg boys did better than other 2 asian counterparts.