Another rain update
Another rain update: Umpires Alex Wharf and Kumar Dharmasena are currently inspecting the field. “Most of the pools have been cleared, but some areas of the surface remain very soggy,” reports Fidel from Lahore.
The bowling run-ups at the College End are a particular concern, as the groundstaff was delayed in covering this area due to heavy rain. Foam is being used to absorb water from the top layer of the pitch while the super sopper works on the outfield.
Not ideal conditions, but we still have about 90 minutes until the cut-off time.
What if this game is washed out?
Australia will secure a semi-final spot with four points. If South Africa defeats England tomorrow, they will top the group with five points.
However, if England wins, South Africa and Afghanistan will both finish with three points, bringing Net Run Rate (NRR) into play.
Afghanistan (NRR -0.99) is likely to be eliminated, as they would need South Africa to lose by at least 207 runs (while chasing 301) to move into second place and qualify.
Rain arrives in Lahore
Rain arrives in the 13th over of the chase, and it is heavy enough to result in a stoppage in play. Australia are 109 for 1, and their asking rate has dropped to 4.43.
Australia had an explosive start against the Afghan pacers as well as spinners. Travis Head did not reduce Australia’s run rate even after losing Short.
Smith and Head are currently leading their side towards the victory. However, Afghanistan bowlers can come back by taking early wickets.
Short: dropped and out
Kharote, the sub fielder, drops Short on 19 at deep square leg. Kharote runs in from deep square leg but shells the chance, gesticulating that he’d lost the white thing under lights. Two balls later, Short offers up another catch, this is held by Naib at mid-on. The drop costs Afghanistan just one run. Naib flexes his muscles and shows off.
Omarzai’s second over costs Afghanistan 14 runs as Short takes him for 4,6,4. He’s still struggling to move his feet but throws his hands at the ball and manufactures enough power to find the boundary.
In the next over, Farooqi draws a chance but Rashid, believe it or not, drops Head at mid-on. Head was on 6. What happens to the next ball? Disappears over square leg for six, according to Cricinfo.
Rashid Khan’s dismissal
When Dwarshuis digs it short and offers width outside off, Rashid maintains a stable base and scythes him over point for four. Dwarshuis keeps his length short but straightens his line and cramps Rashid, having him flap a catch to long-on for 19 off 17 balls. Omarzai or bust for Afghanistan. They’re actually in danger of being bowled out.
The slide continues for Afghanistan
Nabi and Naib fall in a space of three overs to leave Afghanistan at 199 for 7. After struggling to control the early swing and seam, Johnson looked more comfortable with the old ball. Ellis has also come to life with the old ball, digging it into the used surface while often taking pace off. It might be Omarzai or bust for Afghanistan although Rashid is also a capable batter.
Gulbadin Naib goes for 4 in 12 balls after a struggling start. Before this, his catch was dropped. Rashid Khan has come to bat for his side.
Shahidi gets stuck, Omarzai breaks free
Afghanistan had gone 33 balls without a boundary, but Omarzai breaks the drought with a slog-swept six over midwicket in the 35th over. However, it does not dent Short’s figures. Australia have burgled seven overs from him for a mere 21 runs. That six from Omarzai turns out to be the first boundary off Short in this game.
Sediqullah Atal’s 50
It is his third fifty-plus score in eight ODI innings. Atal reaches the landmark in grand style with a six off Maxwell over mid-on, off 64 balls.
Two balls later, Shahidi almost runs past a slider from Maxwell, but ekes out an inside edge that nutmegs Inglis. With two lefties in the middle, Smith has paired Maxwell takes out Rahmat
Afghanistan fell to 91 for 3 in the 19th over after Maxwell had Rahmat caught behind for 12 off 21 balls. Rahmat had just hit a poor long-hop to the boundary before Maxwell delivered a fuller ball, getting the outside edge with a sharp angle from around the stumps. Afghanistan’s batting remains shaky, with Atal holding things together. For Australia, the spinners are proving effective on a worn pitch.
Plays and misses
Afghanistan’s batters were beaten 20 times in the first ten overs today, the most plays and misses by any full-member team in the opening ten overs of a men’s ODI innings since 2023. Australian batters had the same number of plays and misses (20) in their first ten overs against England at Lord’s last year.
The ball is hooping around.
The cordon is packed.
All the edges are under threat. This seems a passage of play straight out Test cricket.
But Johnson and Dwarshuis haven’t been able to control the swing and seam. Zadran and Atal battle for Afghanistan.
Gurbaz dismissal
After a shaky start – two leg byes and a leg-side wide from his first two deliveries – Johnson settles in and quickly demolishes Gurbaz’s defences with a fierce inswinging yorker in the opening over. “It’s almost Starc-like,” Ian Smith comments. The delivery is full, fast (141kph), swings late against the angle from left-arm over the wicket, and crashes into the base of the off stump. Gurbaz’s scores in the CT25 so far: 10, 6, 0. This isn’t the kind of performance Afghanistan would have hoped for from one of their key batters.
Earlier, Afghanistan win the toss and opt to bat first against Australia.
Since this is a used pitch (England and Australia played on this strip), Shahidi expects it to slow down later in the evening. Smith says Australia do not mind bowling first. Afghanistan and Australia are unchanged, so Abbott misses out again for Australia.
Australia: 1 Matt Short, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer Johnson
Afghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi(capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Before the toss, it sounds like the weather has cleared up just in time for the match in Lahore! The rain delay on Thursday seems to have had minimal impact on the conditions, with Ian Bishop noting that the outfield is in good shape, despite the earlier downpour. With Matthew Hayden calling the pitch “an absolute belter,” it seems like fans can expect some exciting batting action!
