Mitch Marsh’s men will need to win three consecutive matches to lift the T20 World Cup trophy after a jubilant Afghanistan made history with their first win over Australia in any format following a spicy Super Eights clash in Saint Vincent.
Glenn Maxwell (59 off 41) threatened to channel his heroics from last year’s ODI World Cup against the Afghans with a dazzling half-century on a tricky Kingstown pitch, but a clutch catch from Noor Ahmad all but iced the game.
Pat Cummins (3-28) had become just the second man to take hat-tricks in consecutive matches, but a miserable fielding performance that saw five catches go begging ultimately cost Australia as they fell 21 runs short of Afghanistan’s 6-148.
Medium pacer Gulbadin Naib, the eighth bowler used by Rashid Khan, was the unlikeliest of heroes with the ball as he snared the wicket of Maxwell in a match-turning spell of 4-20 before hanging on to a superb low catch off Ashton Agar.
Afghanistan’s reserve players stormed the field after the boilover was complete in the final over, underscoring the result as one of the country’s most special in its short history playing at the top level.
“We’ve waited for a long time, it’s a big moment for our nation and our people,” an overjoyed Gulbadin told the host broadcaster.
“It is a great achievement for Afghanistan, we have achieved many things in the last ten years but this is a big achievement. In the last World Cup we played well and in this World Cup we beat New Zealand too. Australia are a champion side so for us it is a big moment. “
The turn-up has thrown the Super Eights group wide open.
To clinch a semi-final berth, Australia must now beat India in St Lucia in their match starting in around only 36 hours’ time, and then hope either Afghanistan lose to Bangladesh or that their net run-rate does not fall below both Afghanistan and India.
There was an extra edge between the two sides, thanks chiefly to a series of tense exchanges between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Marcus Stoinis.
After dismissing Gurbaz to break a 118-run opening partnership, Stoinis sent off the opener with a curious double-handed gesture above his head in what may have been a response to an earlier run-in.
The Afghan gloveman then greeted the allrounder to the crease when Australia were 3-32 by offering a series of pointed remarks as he took guard.
He then had the last laugh when he caught Stoinis via Gulbadin-induced top-edge, running back towards him after completing the dismissal to offer some more words as he trudged off.
It encapsulated a fiery Afghanistan spirit that carried them to their maiden win against Australia in six attempts, and now has them eyeing off their a maiden appearance in the final four of a World Cup.
Lively paceman Naveen ul-Haq (3-20) pegged Australia back from the outset of their run chase, clean bowling Travis Head before a clever slower ball undid Mitch Marsh. When David Warner became his side’s third Powerplay exit, Maxwell was left with it all to do.
The right-hander handled Afghanistan’s four-pronged spin threat with rare skill, tonking three sixes as Rashid’s men look once again to be unnerved by the mercurial allrounder.
Given Afghanistan let Maxwell off the hook with a series of drops during his miracle double-century in Mumbai last year, it was telling that it took a terrific catch from Noor diving forward at backward point to seal his downfall.
Captain Rashid hardly attempted to hide his smile when his counterpart Mitch Marsh won the toss and bowled, declaring he would have batted anyway on the toughest Caribbean batting wicket of the World Cup.
“I don’t think it was won or lost at the toss tonight,” Marsh told the host broadcaster, adding he was “happy with the call to bowl first”.
“A lot of teams have bowled first in this tournament. We were trying to get as much info as we could about the surface.”
Marsh added it was an “off night for us in the field” and that Australia will “own that … and we’ll be back next game”.
“We knew what to expect coming in, it wasn’t the easiest of wickets but both teams had to bat and bowl on it, and we were outplayed by Afghanistan.
“It becomes really clear now – we just need to win, and there’s no better team to do it against (than India). We had an off night but full credit to Afghanistan, they were brilliant.”
Australia’s decision to drop Mitchell Starc for Agar left them without their primary new-ball threat, although Agar exploited the conditions cannily in his four-over spell (conceding 17) which included two miserly Powerplay overs.
But Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran profited from their opponents’ lacklustre fielding in a third century stand of the tournament.
Zadran, who scored Afgahistan’s first century against Australia in last year’s ODI World Cup, put the Aussies to the sword again after being put down on 11 and 32.
Matthew Wade missed a difficult stumping chance off Gurbaz on 47, while Agar twice misfielded balls on the boundary that went for four.
Stoinis’ dismissal of Gurbaz sparked a collapse of 4-8 but even then the late momentum carried by Cummins (who once again landed his triple blow across two overs) was halted when David Warner uncharacteristically fluffed one at deep cover that would have given Cummins a double hat-trick.
It capped a shoddy fielding effort that also saw several run-out chances missed.
2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Australia’s squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Australia’s Group B fixtures
June 6: Beat Oman by 39 runs
June 9: Beat England by 36 runs
June 12: Beat Namibia by nine wickets
June 16: Beat Scotland by five wickets
Australia’s Super Eight fixtures
21 June: Beat Bangladesh by 28 runs (DLS)
23 June: Lost to Afghanistan by 21 runs
25 June: v India, Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, St Lucia, 12.30am AEST
Semi-finals to follow if Australia qualify
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