 "T20 World Cup 2024: Gulbadin Naib takes four as Afghanistan earn historic win against Australia")
Gulbadin Naib took four wickets for Afghanistan and bowled his team to a historic 21-run victory over previously unbeaten Australia in a Group 1 Super Eight encounter in the T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent on Saturday.
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It is Afghanistan’s first victory over Australia across formats. The win keeps Afghanistan alive in the tournament and leaves Australia and India waiting to secure their spot in the semi-final.
Set to chase 149 runs, Glenn Maxwell (59 off 41 balls, six fours, three sixes) kept the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup winners on course until he became Gulbadin’s third wicket in the 15th over, opening the door to a result which keeps the tussle for semi-final spots alive.
On Monday, India will take on Australia and Afghanistan will face Bangladesh. India are on four points with Afghanistan and Australia level on two each while Bangladesh are on zero points.
Naib finished with four for 20 from his four overs to turn the match around, with Australia dismissed for 127 with four balls left in the match.
“It is a great moment for me, my nation, my people,” said an exultant Gulbadin on receiving the Man of the Match award. “I learned a lot about the pitch from when we batted and I am glad that (captain) Rashid (Khan) had faith in me.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEarlier, Pat Cummins claimed his second hat-trick in as many matches as Afghanistan lost momentum after another century opening stand from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, settling for a total of 148 for six after being put in.
Gurbaz, 60 off 49 balls (four fours, four sixes), produced the top score and found support at the other end by Zadran, 51 off 48 balls (six fours), to give the Afghans an excellent platform of 118 – their third century partnership of the tournament – by the 16th over.
But having ridden their luck via half-chances and misfields, four wickets for eight runs put the innings back in the balance. Marcus Stoinis provided the breakthrough and Adam Zampa applied the brakes with two wickets.
Yet it was Cummins, who claimed a hat-trick against Bangladesh, who essentially switched off the Afghanistan innings with the wicket of Rashid Khan at the end of the 18th over before adding Karim Janat and eventual hero Gulbadin at the start of the 20th over.
“It was an off night for us in the field and we own that,” conceded Australian captain Mitchell Marsh. “We knew it was a difficult wicket but both teams bowled on it, both teams batted on it and we were simply outplayed by a better team on the night.”
In reflecting on an historic night for his team, Rashid acknowledged the reward of returning to the opening pair of Gurbaz and Zadran.
“It was important to return to the previous playing eleven after we tried a few different things in the last match against India,” he explained. “We had in our minds that 140 was a good total on this wicket. The belief was there and as a captain, having so many bowling options like Gulbadin makes the job easier.”
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