The knockout stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is around the corner and out of 10 teams, only four will be qualifying for the semi-finals. India and South Africa have already qualified for the same but the other two semi-finalists are yet to make their claim. (Match Blog | Scorecard | Streaming | Preview)
Australia will play with the intention to book their spot in the semi-finals. They played well and defeated England by 33 runs in the previous match in Ahmedabad. Currently, the Australian team are in third position in the points table with five wins out of the seven matches played.
Afghanistan have performed admirably in this tournament, well beyond anyone’s imagination. They are on a dream run and will be clashing with Australia to keep their semi-finals hope alive. They easily defeated the Netherlands by seven wickets in their last match and will do their best to keep the momentum and streak going.
Following are the three key battles that will decide the fate in the AUS Vs AFG game:
Hashmatullah Shahidi Vs Adam Zampa
Afghanistan captain Hashamtullah Shahidi is performing on a different echelon in this tournament; his consistent batting performance has played a key role in winning the matches for Afghanistan. Shahidi scored a winning fifty against New Zealand and will be facing Australian bowler Adam Zampa - who is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament- in the crucial match on Tuesday. He took three wickets in the previous match against England.
David Warner Vs Mohammad Nabi
Australian opener David Warner is a threat for Afghanistan and Mohammad Nabi will be looking to take his wicket early before he could score big. Warner has scored a smashing total of 428 runs in seven innings, which includes two tons and a fifty. Nabi took three wickets against the Netherlands, and he will be looking to hunt down Warner in their clash.
Steven Smith Vs Noor Ahmad
Number three batsman Steven Smith needs no introduction, once he is set on the crease, no target is too big to achieve. He scored 44 important runs in the last match against England that helped build up the Australian innings. Noor Ahmad has the capability to beat Smith; he has uprooted five wickets in just two innings so far, including two in the last match against the Netherlands. The face-off between Noor and Smith will be a breathtaking moment for the fans of both teams.
