T20 World Cup 2024, AFG vs AUS 48th Match, Super Eights, Group 1 Match Report, June 22, 2024

The opening act

Both openers made half-centuries, leaving Australia waiting until the 16th over for a breakthrough. Never have Australia had to wait that long for a wicket in T20Is.

Gurbaz and Ibrahim had played out 21 dots in the first four overs in which they managed only 17. But in the next two overs they more than doubled the score, ending the powerplay on 40 for 0.

Gurbaz then jumped out of his crease and pumped Adam Zampa for a straight six while Ibrahim manufactured swinging room and crunched Ashton Agar over cover-point for four. Australia had picked the left-arm fingerspinner, ahead of Mitchell Starc, to match him up with a right-hander heavy Afghanistan line-up on a spin-friendly surface, but he went wicketless (4-1-17-0).

Gurbaz and Ibrahim largely played percentage shots to counter the conditions and Australia’s attack. Ibrahim could’ve been dismissed on 11 had Zampa not dropped a difficult chance in the outfield; he ended up parrying it away to the boundary. Ibrahim got another life on 32 when Stoinis shelled a return catch. Australia continued to be uncharacteristically sloppy in the field, and Afghanistan capitalised on the many missed chances.

The comeback

Cummins led Australia’s comeback at the death by claiming his second hat-trick in three days. On Saturday in St Vincent, he dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat and Naib across the 18th and 20th overs. When he performed the feat against Bangladesh, Cummins said that he forgot he was on a hat-trick, but on Saturday against Afghanistan, he was aware of it, putting his hands up in celebration even before Maxwell had caught the ball. Cummins could’ve well had four in four had David Warner not dropped Nangeyalia Kharote off the next ball. From 118 for 0 in the 16th over, Afghanistan finished with 148 for 6, and it was anyone’s game at the halfway mark.

Naveen’s double-strike

Afghanistan have become used to Fazalhaq Farooqi striking repeatedly in the powerplay, but here it was Naveen-ul-Haq who wrecked Australia’s top order. After taking the first two balls away from Travis Head, Naveen threatened to bring one back into the batter with the angle from around the wicket, but the ball swung and seamed away wickedly to make Head look silly and crash into the middle stump. In his next over, Naveen had Mitchell Marsh slicing a catch to mid-off with a 108kph slower ball that would’ve done Dwayne Bravo, the Afghanistan bowling consultant and Naveen’s team-mate at Texas Super Kings, proud.

Hello again, Maxwell

Australia were 16 for 2 in three overs. Enter Maxwell. He set to work with two fours off Omarzai in three balls and then dumped rookie left-arm spinner Kharote out of the attack. He first reverse-swept Kharote past slip for four and slog-swept him powerfully over midwicket in a 13-run over. Kharote was done with the ball after just one over.

Maxwell also took some calculated risks against Rashid and kept Australia in touch with the asking rate. When he reached his half-century with a six off Naib, the ghosts of Mumbai 2023 might have resurfaced for Afghanistan.

Gulbadin flexes his muscles

Naib, though, helped them exorcise the ghosts.

Australia were 94 for 5 in 13 overs, with Maxwell and finisher Wade in the middle. Naib had already removed Stoinis and David in his first two overs. Naib wasn’t even part of Afghanistan’s Plan A. With the spinners erring full, especially against Maxwell, Rashid turned to Naib, who responded with two more wickets.

Naib doesn’t have high pace, but he kept hitting the surface and had the ball respond differently off it. After stopping Maxwell in his third over, he flexed his muscles and let out an almighty roar that might have been heard in Kabul. The Afghanistan fans in St Vincent roared with their hero and waved the flags.

In his final over, Naib fooled Cummins with a slower cutter before Rashid and Farooqi sealed the deal for Afghanistan.

Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo