Lahore, Feb 28 (IANS) Australia are through to the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy after their Group B clash against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday. With Australia through to the last four stage with four points claimed in their kitty, Afghanistan are on the brink of elimination from the competition after reaching three points.
Afghanistan, though, will need a mathematical favour from England, who need to win by a margin of over 207 runs and cause South Africa’s net run rate to slip below theirs’ to enter the semi-finals. A win for South Africa will see them top Group B, and push Australia to second place.
It’s also the sixth game featuring Australia that has been abandoned in the Champions Trophy. Earlier in the match, with the rain threat looming, Australia bowled out Afghanistan for 273 in exactly 50 overs. Sediqullah Atal overcame an early examination to hit 85, while Azmatullah Omarzai shined with 67 to help Afghanistan post a competitive total on a used pitch.
In their run chase of 274, Australia were at 109/1 in 12.5 overs when rain stopped play. Travis Head was leading the chase through a quick 59 not out off 40 deliveries, with Steve Smith alongside him unbeaten on 19.
But the rain of 30 minutes came with so heavy intensity that it left a lot of puddles on the outfield. On-field umpires Alex Wharf and Kumar Dharmasena came out for an inspection at 8:45pm local time and decided the game wouldn’t happen due to wet patches around the bowlers’ run-up from the College End.
Australia began their chase on a rollicking note as Head and Matthew Short hit five boundaries in the first three overs, including the latter hitting Azmatullah Omarzai for two fours and a six in the second over yielding 14 runs. In the next over, Head was dropped on six when Rashid Khan shelled a chance at mid-on.
To rub salt on the wounds, Head whipped Farooqui for four and six respectively. Short was then dropped on 19 when sub fielder Kharote dropped the chance at deep square leg off Omarzai. Two balls later, Short looked to whip, but leading edge on it was caught at mid-on and was dismissed for 20.
After Smith hit back-to-back boundaries, Head feasted on favourable lengths from Farooqi and Omarzai with some powerful boundaries on both sides of the wicket to get his 17th ODI fifty in just 34 balls. But shortly after that, rain arrived in the 13th over to force both teams off the field, as it had the final say eventually.
Previously, with the new ball nipping around, Atal had to wait for his chance before hitting six fours and three sixes in his 95-ball vigil at the crease. After a middle-order meltdown, Omarzai, the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2024, smacked five sixes and a four in his superb 63-ball knock at the back end.
For Australia, who conceded 37 extras, Ben Dwarshuis was the standout bowler with 3-47, while Adam Zampa and Spencer Johnson took two scalps each. Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Ellis had one wicket each as Australia needed to chase down 274 on a slow Lahore pitch.
Afghanistan didn’t have a great start to their innings as Rahmanullah Gurbaz was castled for duck by a ripping inswinging yorker from Johnson in the first over. With Johnson and Dwarshuis getting the ball to hoop around, Atal was beaten on numerous occasions on the outside edge.
Despite playing and missing a lot of deliveries, Atal and Ibrahim Zadran managed to weather the early storm by collecting two boundaries each as Afghanistan ended the first power-play at 54/1. But Afghanistan lost Zadran in the 14th over as Zampa had him cut a short ball straight to backward point and fall for 22.
Five overs later, Rahmat Shah tried to drive off the back foot against Maxwell, but got an outside edge and was caught behind by Josh Inglis for 12. Atal marched forward to bring up his third fifty-plus score in eight ODI innings in grand style by dispatching a six off Maxwell over mid-on off 64 balls.
Though Atal hit two fours and as many sixes later, it didn’t help him that captain Hashmatullah Shahidi struggled to get going. In a bid to keep attacking, Atal went for a punch on the up, but spooned one to Smith at short cover and fall for 85 in the 32nd over.
Four overs later, Shahidi’s scratchy stay ended when he got a top-edge on a sweep off Zampa and was caught by backward square leg for 20. Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib falling within the three overs left Afghanistan at a precarious 199/7 at the end of the 40th over.
Though Omarzai hit two sixes and Rashid Khan smashed as many fours, Australia clawed back as Rashid holed out to long-on off Dwarshuis for 19. Omarzai, though, marched forward to bring up his fifty in 54 balls and launched three sixes off Ellis, including twice in the 49th over. He went to smash Dwarshuis for four, before holing out in the deep off him. By then, Omarzai had done a fine job of taking Afghanistan past the 270-run mark.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan 273 in 50 overs (Sediqullah Atal 85, Azmatullah Omarzai 67; Ben Dwarshuis 3-47, Adam Zampa 2-48) against Australia 109/1 in 12.5 overs (Travis Head 59 not out; Azmatullah Omarzai 1-43) – match abandoned due to rain
–IANS
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