Afghanistan stunned Australia with a historic win

Afghanistan's stunning victory over cricketing powerhouse Australia has left the world in awe.

The Aussies' impressive unbeaten run at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has ended, leaving the two teams in a neck-and-neck battle to join India in the next phase of the tournament.

Australia's captain, Mitch Marsh, made a crucial call at the toss by choosing to field first. This decision could have had dire consequences for the team.

Afghanistan wasted no time in making Marsh doubt his decision.

The Afghans were calm and precise in their Power play and carried out their strategy from the start.

The scoring was quite unpredictable, with a combination of singles and boundaries. However, what stood out was the Afghanistan openers' ability to protect their wickets.

The pair scored 40 runs without losing any wickets in the first six overs, thanks to six boundaries. However, the scoring rate did not slow after the Power play ended.

Afghanistan's batting performance has been exceptional, with all ten wickets still intact and a score of 64/0 at the halfway mark of the innings.

Agar and Adam Zampa faced a tough challenge in the middle overs as they were relentlessly attacked on a pitch predicted to favour spinners.

The 13th over from Zampa was quite eventful, with a couple of boundaries, including one due to a misfield. There was also a close LBW shout and a missed stumping opportunity that keeper Matthew Wade couldn't convert.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored his half-century in the 15th over, followed by Ibrahim Zadran, who accomplished the same feat just five balls later.

The Australian team's body language seemed to display concerning signs for the tournament favourites.

Gurbaz was dismissed in the 16th after scoring six runs, thanks to Marcus Stoinis, who finally provided Australia with a much-needed breakthrough. And that completely shifted the momentum of the game.

In the following over, Zampa removed two wickets, including the vital removal of Zadran, which quickly reduced the Afghans to three wickets.

In the 18th over, Australia continued their dominance as Pat Cummins impressively conceded only four runs and successfully dismissed Rashid Khan, adding to their impressive performance.

After achieving an impressive hat-trick against Bangladesh, Cummins pulled off another remarkable feat by securing a second consecutive win for the Aussies, boosting their momentum at the end of the game. His final stats were an impressive 28/3.

The Australians had plenty of work ahead of them at bat, as they gave up many catches and runs while defending the rope—an execution that might have been costly. It was a highly competitive match, with Afghanistan scoring a respectable 148/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Khan's meticulous preparation and strategic moves persisted as he switched from the in-form star Fazalhaq Farooqi to Naveen-ul-Haq with the fresh ball.

It was a remarkable start as Naveen quickly dismissed Australian opener Travis Head with his third delivery.

In his second over, Naveen showcased his skill again by dismissing Marsh with a perfectly executed slower ball. This wicket has undoubtedly intensified the pressure on Australia.

Glenn Maxwell stepped onto the pitch, reminding fans of his heroic performance in the teams' ODI World Cup clash last year. Maxwell hit two crucial boundaries in the fifth over, which helped calm the nerves.

However, David Warner's dismissal tilted the game in favour of the Afghans by the end of the Power play. Australia faced a challenging situation, finding themselves at 33/3 after the first six overs.

Maxwell sparked a sense of familiarity in the seventh over by hitting two powerful boundaries. The Australian team reached the 50-run mark by the eighth over, mirroring Afghanistan's batting performance in the first ten overs.

Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis propelled Australia to a score of 70/3 at the halfway mark of the innings. Unfortunately, Stoinis was dismissed for 11 runs off 17 balls shortly after the drinks break.

Tim David (2 off 4) was dismissed early. Still, a powerful shot by Maxwell in the 13th over brought him to a well-deserved half-century off 35 balls.

As Afghanistan's hopes dwindled, Gulbadin Naib made a crucial move and enticed Maxwell with a delivery outside the off stump. Noor Ahmad, positioned behind the point, made an exceptional catch to secure the wicket.

The game took a turn when Wade (5 off 7) attempted a sweep and top-edged it, leaving the Australians at 108/7.

They now needed 41 runs off 29 balls, putting the pressure on the hat-trick hero Cummins. However, his performance with the ball could have been more impressive, as he struggled to connect and ended up missing, putting the Aussies in a more challenging position with only three overs remaining and 36 runs needed.

Afghanistan displayed exceptional field skills, capitalising on every opportunity to take wickets, ultimately making a significant impact on the game's outcome.

Australia's hopes of victory were dashed as Zampa attempted a big shot down the ground, only to be caught out, resulting in their final wicket and a total of 127 runs, falling short by 22 runs.

Gulbadin Naib's exceptional performance on the pitch cannot be overlooked. With four wickets to his name, he has etched his name in the annals of cricket history.

Not only did he achieve this feat in the World Cup, but he was also the first player to accomplish it in both T20I and ODI formats. It is truly a remarkable achievement!

The Afghans secured a historic victory, marking a significant milestone for their team as they triumphed over Australia for the first time. In their final Super Eight clash, Bangladesh will face their opponents, while the Australians will be up against India.