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Champions Trophy: Australia make rapid progress in pursuit of 274

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Group B: Afghanistan v Australia, Lahore

Australia need 274 to win and reach semi-finals

Head dropped on six by Rashid; Short dropped on 19 but caught for 20

Afg 273: Sediqullah 85 (95), Azmatullah 67 (63); Dwarshuis 3-47

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary at top of page

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by Elizabeth Botcherby

184 runs needed from 40 overs

Australia are cruising at the end of the powerplay. The required rate is well below five and their 274 target is well within their reach.

Steve Smith has 13 (13) while Travis Head is rampaging on 48 (32).

Noor Ahmad is the new man into the attack.

Target 274

Unfortunately for Afghanistan, Australia are quickly back in boundaries.

Three fours in a row from the bat of Travis Head, who is scoring all around the ground.

Target 274

Australia are content to run hard against Mohammad Nabi’s spin.

Six runs from the over but no boudaries. Everything’s just settling down a little bit.

Change of tactic from Hashmatullah Shahidi.

He needs something to change the trajectory of this match so he turns to experienced spinner Mohammad Nabi.

Target 274

A controlled over from Azmatullah Omarzai brings just a trio of singles. I think we all needed that moment of calm after the furious start to this chase.

Will we see a bowling change from Afghanistan or has Ryan Campbell called it correctly? Will Fazalhaq Farooqi continue?

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Afghanistan are very much a team who need to go by the playbook. If something goes awry they’re a bit slow to change.

Travis Head has done that beautifully. So much time, he has just waited for it. Again, a fast bowler struggling to get out of his own over.

Target 274

Travis Head picks off three more boundaries as Australia race to 64-1.

The second, reaching out on one knee to flay the ball over mid-off, is very pleasing indeed. The third, a short ball scooped over the wicketkeeper, is delicious.

Frowns all round from Afghanistan.

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

That’s how you bat. Timing, head positioning, and perfectly balanced.

That’s where you cannot bowl to Steve Smith.

Target 274

The action doesn’t stop!

A dropped catch, a wicket and then back-to-back fours from new batter Steve Smith to get off the mark in style. Both boundaries are gifts from Azmatullah Omarzai. Australia are flying.

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Again, Matt Short limited in his movements.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get forward or back, and he managed to spoon it to mid-on.

Short c Naib b Azmatullah 20 (Aus 44-1)

Gulbadin Naib has a safe pair of hands! At the third attempt Afghanistan have their wicket.

They handed Matt Short a lifeline at the start of the over but it hasn’t proved too costly. The injured opener pops one up to mid-on and Naib makes no mistake.

The biceps are out in celebration. Wow, Afghanistan needed that.

Short caught by Naib off the bowling of Azmatullah

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

What are we watching? What’s going on? We were raving about Afghanistan’s calmness.

If there’s an Achilles heel, I will say, their fielding has never been great.

There is shaking of heads going on. This will test them.

Aus 43-0

If I’m Afghanistan’s fielding coach, I’m tearing my hair out right now.

Matt Short pulls Azmatullah Omarzai into the deep but sub fielder Kharoti lets the ball through his fingers. Disastrous fielding.

‘I can’t believe it!’- Afghanistan drop two

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

They’re not helping themselves, Afghanistan. It has got to be stopped on the boundary.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport chief cricket reporter on BBC 5 Sports Extra

Afghanistan are falling apart.

Target 274

It goes from bad to worse for Afghanistan.

The fielder on the boundary wafts a hand at the ball and lets it through for four.

Afghanistan need to regroup.

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Big moment in the game. We will have to wait and see if Travis Head goes on to make a big score.

Oh dear, oh dear.

Travis Head is dropped on six. Next ball? He absolutely hammers Fazalhaq Farooqi for six.

The camera pans to Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott. He does not look impressed.

Aus 32-0

Rashid Khan had put down Travis Head on six and he looks absolutely furious with himself.

It’s a routine catch for Rashid at mid-on but he can’t hold on.

You suspect that could come back to haunt Afghanistan.

Ryan Campbell
Former Australia wicketkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

That’s Matt Short’s onion bag, right there.

Back of the length where he can swat it away. It’s a slow swing of the bat, great contact.

A good start from Australia. They’re flying along. This is what Afghanistan couldn’t afford.

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Summary

Live Reporting

Aus 90-1
published at 10 overs
10 overs

Aus 86-1
published at 9 overs
9 overs

Aus 73-1
published at 8 overs
8 overs

Post
published at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time
13:40 GMT

Aus 67-1
published at 7 overs
7 overs

Post
published at 13:36 Greenwich Mean Time
13:36 GMT

Aus 64-1
published at 6 overs
6 overs

Post
published at 13:32 Greenwich Mean Time
13:32 GMT

Aus 52-1
published at 5 overs
5 overs

Post
published at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time
13:30 GMT

WICKET
published at 4.3 overs
4.3 overs

Post
published at 13:27 Greenwich Mean Time
13:27 GMT

Matt Short dropped on 19
published at 4.1 overs
4.1 overs

Post
published at 13:26 Greenwich Mean Time
13:26 GMT

Post
published at 13:25 Greenwich Mean Time
13:25 GMT

Aus 42-0
published at 4 overs
4 overs

Post
published at 13:23 Greenwich Mean Time
13:23 GMT

Aus 38-0
published at 3.2 overs
3.2 overs

Travis Head dropped on six
published at 3.1 overs
3.1 overs

Post
published at 13:21 Greenwich Mean Time
13:21 GMT

Batter Runs Balls 4s 6s Strike Rate

0
5
0
0
4
0.00

22
28
2
0
61
78.57

85
95
6
3
118
89.47

12
21
1
0
16
57.14

20
49
1
0
59
40.82

67
63
1
5
85
106.35

1
1
0
0
6
100.00

4
12
0
0
15
33.33

19
17
2
0
22
111.76

6
8
0
0
26
75.00

0
1
0
0
3
0.00

50.0 overs

50.0 overs
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
Johnson
10.0
0
49
2
4.90
Dwarshuis
9.0
0
47
3
5.22
Ellis
10.0
0
60
1
6.00
Maxwell
6.0
1
28
1
4.66
Zampa
8.0
0
48
2
6.00
Short
7.0
0
21
0
3.00
Fall of wicket Batter
 (0.5 overs)
Gurbaz
 (13.3 overs)
Ibrahim
 (18.2 overs)
Rahmat
 (31.2 overs)
Sediqullah
 (35.4 overs)
Hashmatullah
 (36.4 overs)
Nabi
 (39.6 overs)
Gulbadin Naib
 (45.3 overs)
Rashid
 (49.4 overs)
Azmatullah
 (49.6 overs)
Noor
Batter Runs Balls 4s 6s Strike Rate

20
15
3
1
22
133.33

52
35
8
1
48
148.57

15
15
2
0
25
100.00

10.5 overs

10.5 overs
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
Azmatullah
5.0
0
43
1
8.60
Fazalhaq
3.0
0
32
0
10.66
Nabi
2.0
0
9
0
4.50
Noor
0.5
0
6
0
7.20
Fall of wicket Batter
 (4.3 overs)
Short

LIVE: Afghanistan vs Australia – ICC Champions Trophy 2025

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Maxwell’s World Cup double is history for Afghanistan

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Fresh off toppling England again, Afghanistan face Australia with a semi-final place at stake

Shahidi: We have planned for the entire Australia team

The last time Afghanistan faced Australia in an ODI, Glenn Maxwell produced arguably the greatest innings the format has ever seen with his unforgettable double century to secure a remarkable chase in Mumbai.

It ripped away a game that appeared a certain Afghanistan victory when Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292, but they have insisted there is no extra focus purely on Maxwell ahead of a winner-takes-all clash in Lahore with a semi-final spot on the line.

Labuschagne has ‘no issues’ playing against Afghanistan

Group B scenarios: How can Afghanistan qualify? Are South Africa favourites to finish on top?

Ankle injury and ‘personal views’ behind Starc’s Champions Trophy absence

A significant reason for that is Afghanistan know they can beat Australia: last year at the T20 World Cup they prevailed by 21 runs despite Maxwell’s 59 off 41 balls. His dismissal to Gulbadin Naib was the defining moment of the game

“You think we will come only to play with Maxwell?” Hashmatullah Shahidi said when asked about the 2023 World Cup meeting. “We have planning for all Australian team. I know that he played really well in 2023 World Cup, but that’s part of the history.

“After that, we beat them in [the] T20 World Cup. We think about all [the] opposition team, we are not coming to the ground to plan on [an] individual player. We will try our best to come with the planning and we are not playing only Maxwell – we are playing Australia.”

A second consecutive ICC tournament semi-final beckons if Afghanistan prevail on Friday, but they insist their minds won’t wander that far. “We will try to play positive game – just like we defeated England today, we hope to beat Australia as well,” Shahidi said. “We won’t put that pressure on ourselves by thinking too much about the semi-final qualification.”

Afghanistan will enter the match less than 48 hours after the eight-run victory over England highlighted by Ibrahim Zadran’s magnificent 177. He also has good memories of facing Australia having scored 129 in that Mumbai match then 51 off 48 balls in the T20 World Cup victory in St Vincent.

“It’s never easy for a player to return from injury and make such a strong comeback in a high-stakes match,” Shahidi said. “I am extremely happy for him because he is a very talented and hardworking player. When players like him perform well, as a leader, it makes me very happy and hopeful for the future. Ibrahim played a brilliant innings, and I pray that he continues to perform like this always.”

The two matches so far in Lahore have seen all four innings pass 300 with Australia chasing down 352 against England in their opening match. Pace bowler Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan’s match-winner yesterday with 5 for 58, but there was enough assistance for the spinners to provide encouragement. Noor Ahmad conceded just 51 from his 10 overs.

“There was support,” Shahidi said. “I think the spinners bowled also really well. In this kind of condition our spinners are very good, and if they have a little bit help, I know they will do it for the team.”

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

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