LAHORE, Pakistan — Afghanistan put up a strong total of 273 in their allotted 50 overs against Australia in their ICC Champions Trophy group-stage clash on Friday.
A steady innings from Sediqullah Atal (85 off 95 balls) and an aggressive knock by Azmatullah Omarzai (67 off 63 balls) helped Afghanistan reach a respectable total.
After choosing to bat first, Afghanistan had a shaky start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a duck by Spencer Johnson in the very first over. Ibrahim Zadran (22 off 28 balls) and Sediqullah Atal then steadied the innings with a solid partnership before both fell in the middle overs. Rahmat Shah (12 off 21 balls) also failed to capitalize on his start, falling to Glenn Maxwell.
Azmatullah Omarzai played a crucial role in pushing the total past 250, scoring 67 off 63 deliveries, including five boundaries and a six. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Hashmatullah Shahidi (20 off 49 balls) played a cautious knock before being dismissed, while Rashid Khan (19 off 17 balls) provided some late fireworks.
Extras played a significant role in Afghanistan’s total, contributing 37 runs, including 17 wides.
For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets, while Spencer Johnson and Adam Zampa chipped in with two each.
With 273 on the board, Afghanistan has given its bowlers a competitive total to defend, but with a strong Australian batting lineup, the game remains open. Australia, given a 75% win probability, will look to chase the target comfortably, while Afghanistan hopes to pull off an upset with early breakthroughs.
