Sediqullah Atal’s elegant innings of 85 runs, achieved from 95 balls and including six boundaries and three sixes, combined with Azmatullah Omarzai’s aggressive performance in the final overs, was instrumental in Afghanistan reaching a commendable total of 273 runs in 50 overs.
The Australian bowling attack operated cohesively, consistently disrupting Afghanistan’s attempts to build substantial partnerships. Despite Australia’s effective bowling, Afghanistan managed to capitalize on the death overs, accumulating 74 runs while losing three wickets, which allowed them to conclude their innings on a high note.
Afghanistan opted to bat first on a pitch in Lahore that appeared favorable for batting, anticipating that the surface would become slower in the latter half of the game, thus benefiting their spin bowlers. Spencer Johnson made an early breakthrough, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over with a sharp, late-swinging yorker that dismantled the stumps. Johnson was particularly effective in generating seam movement in the initial 10 overs of the Champions Trophy, while his new-ball partner, Ben Dwarshuis, achieved significant swing. At times, the Australian opening bowlers even struggled to control the extent of movement they were generating, as Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran cautiously advanced Afghanistan’s score to 54/1 during the powerplay.
The momentum of the match fluctuated considerably between the two teams throughout the middle overs. Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell’s spin bowling effectively stifled the run flow, with Zampa also claiming the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran. Zadran, who had previously scored a century in Afghanistan’s historic victory over England, chased a delivery that spun away from him and was caught by Marnus Labuschagne at backward point. Maxwell further tightened Australia’s grip by bowling a maiden over to the new batsman, Rahmat Shah, and then soon after dismissed him caught behind, leaving Afghanistan in a precarious position at 94/3 after 20 overs.
Subsequently, Atal began to find his rhythm and accelerate the scoring rate, particularly against Maxwell’s bowling. Hashmatullah Shahidi also contributed to the effort to increase the run rate. Together, they managed to score runs off Zampa and Nathan Ellis, while Matthew Short bowled four economical overs. The pair guided Afghanistan past the 150-run mark and appeared set to further accelerate, especially after Australia missed a review opportunity that could have dismissed Atal. However, Johnson returned to the attack and dismissed the set batsman, Atal, for 85, caught by Smith at cover.
From this juncture, Afghanistan experienced a setback, losing wickets at regular intervals and slipping from 159/4 in the 32nd over to 199/7 in the 40th, facing the risk of being restricted to a score below 250. Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan then collaborated to halt the slide and propel the team forward in the final overs, adding 31 runs in five overs. However, in the 46th over, Rashid Khan was dismissed while attempting to attack Dwarshuis, hitting the ball to Maxwell at long-on.
Omarzai then took on the responsibility of ensuring a strong finish for his team, contributing 29 of the 38 runs that Afghanistan managed after Rashid Khan’s dismissal. He was eventually dismissed in the final over by Dwarshuis, having scored a valuable 67 runs off 63 balls, including one four and five sixes. His late aggressive hitting was crucial in pushing Afghanistan’s total to 273 in 50 overs, providing their bowling attack with a realistic opportunity to seek a 50-overs format victory against Australia, with significant implications for semifinal qualification.
Match Summary: Afghanistan 273 in 50 overs (Sediqullah Atal 85, Azmatullah Omarzai 67; Ben Dwarshuis 3-47, Adam Zampa 2-48, Spencer Johnson 2-49) versus Australia.
