Despite heartbreaking defeat to Australia, Afghanistan can qualify for World Cup semis

Afghanistan were so close, yet so far, as Australia and Glenn Maxwell broke their hearts on November 7 in Mumbai.

On November 7th, 2023, a thrilling cricket match between Australia and Afghanistan took place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as part of the World Cup 2023. The Afghanistan team, led by captain Hasmatullah Shahidi, won the toss and chose to bat first.

The opening batsmen for Afghanistan were Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. They got off to a steady start.

As the game progressed, Afghanistan maintained a steady pace, reaching a score of 100 runs in 20.2 overs. Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran formed a strong partnership, contributing to an unbeaten 58-run stand for the second wicket.

Afghanistan continued to perform well with Zadran leading the charge. Ibrahim Zadran became the first Afghan player to score a century in World Cup history, a remarkable achievement against a formidable Australian team. With some explosive batting from Rashid Khan in the end, Afghanistan scored 291 runs.

The Australian chase was completely in tatters as they lost Travis Head for a duck. The aggressive innings from Mitchell Marsh came to an end and the floodgates opened. Azmat Omarzai would dismiss David Warner and Josh Inglis in consecutive deliveries to leave them reeling at 49 for four.