Afghanistan's bowling attack, comprising
four spinners, presented a significant challenge to Australia in their pursuit
of 292 runs. While Rashid Khan managed to withstand Maxwell's aggressive
batting, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi made a significant impact with
their precise line and length, taking advantage of the new ball's swing under
the floodlights.
Naveen made an early breakthrough,
dismissing Travis Head with an outswinger and then trapping Mitchell Marsh lbw
with an inswinger. He had a chance to remove David Warner early as well, but a
dropped catch at gully by Rahmat Shah allowed Warner to score an additional 14
runs before Omarzai sent his off-stump flying with an inswinger.
Omarzai, a 23-year-old playing in his 20th
One Day International, displayed his skill in orchestrating Warner's dismissal.
After bowling a maiden over to Warner, he made the necessary adjustments to
breach Warner's defenses. Having dominated the powerplay during his Bangladesh
Premier League stint earlier in the year, Omarzai exhibited his ability to
perform at the international level. He followed up with an outswinger that led
to Josh Inglis edging the ball to the first slip, narrowly missing a hat-trick
due to Maxwell's resilience.
Rather than opting to chase, Afghanistan
captain Hashmatullah Shahidi decided to bat first on a somewhat unconventional
Wankhede pitch, which was drier than anticipated. Ibrahim Zadran led the charge
with an unbeaten 129 runs from 143 balls, anchoring the innings on a scorching
afternoon. The highlight of his innings was a cleverly executed ramp shot for
four off Pat Cummins in the 14th over. In the final overs, Zadran and Rashid
Khan, who contributed an unbeaten 35 off 18 balls, joined forces to add 58 runs
in just 27 balls, propelling Afghanistan to a total of 291 runs. Nevertheless,
their elation soon turned into disbelief and helplessness as Maxwell's
exceptional performance turned the match in Australia's favor.
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