Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in their Group-B clash of the ICC Champions Trophy at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Australia struck early, dismissing Afghanistan's opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck in the first over. Fast bowler Spencer Johnson made the breakthrough, delivering a sharp 89mph delivery that nipped away, beating Gurbaz’s edge and crashing into the stumps.
At the end of two overs, Afghanistan stood at 7/1 with Ibrahim Zadran (1*) and Sediqullah Atal (2*) at the crease. Johnson has been impressive with figures of 1.2-0-2-1, while Ben Dwarshuis maintained tight lines, conceding just two runs in his first over.
With the pitch offering some movement early on, Afghanistan will need a solid partnership to stabilize their innings against Australia’s pace attack. Stay tuned for further updates.
The match holds immense significance for both teams. If Afghanistan loses, they will be knocked out of the event. However, if Australia suffers defeat, they will still have a chance to qualify but will have to wait for the outcome of Saturday’s clash between England and South Africa. Currently, both Australia and South Africa have three points each, with South Africa holding a superior net run rate.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi remains optimistic, stating, “If we can beat England, we can also defeat Australia.”
