FOR ALL the brilliance and dominance displayed by the hosts in their first three outings, a World Cup doesn’t catch fire, at least for the neutrals, until there are a few close finishes or an underdog overturning a fancied side.
And on a pleasant Delhi evening, in front of a big crowd in their corner, Afghanistan — the feel-good story in international cricket over the past decade and a half — delivered the upset the tournament craved, defeating defending champions England no less by 69 runs.
Afghanistan are always touted as a team capable of bringing a big team down, but they hadn’t shown it on the big stage, until now. They have mystery spinners — in much demand in franchise cricket — but 50-over cricket demands some pedigree with the bat. Their batting had always held them back but once they put up 284 on the board, the variety in their bowling attack took care of the rest.
Coming into the tournament, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi had claimed that their batting had the ability to get big scores, and on Sunday, they provided a score that proved too much for Jos Buttler’s men.
Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz in action. (REUTERS)
It was a poignant moment for the team, with their country reeling from recent earthquakes.
“This is the kind of opportunity we have been working hard for. I want to dedicate this award to the people back home, who have been affected by the earthquake. This is something we could do as a team and I could do myself as a player,” Mujeeb ur Rahman, the player of the match, said at the presentation ceremony.
Head coach Jonathan Trott, ironically a former England batsman, had said on the eve of the match that while none of his players had their near and dear ones among the earthquake casualties, they were worried about the situation back home and have even donated a part of their prize money to the relief efforts. Their biggest star Rashid Khan, Trott said, had pledged his entire amount.
It was probably fitting that it was Rashid who put the finishing touches to the landmark victory – unarguably their biggest in ODIs – by getting the last two wickets, sealing the deal when Mark Wood missed an ugly heave to be bowled, ending the England innings for 215 in 40.3 overs.
Rashid reacted with both hands in the air, a pose somewhat like what Shahid Afridi used to make, but apart from the hugs and handshakes, the celebrations were rather low-key. It showed that the result was not a total surprise for them, they believe they have what it takes to upset big teams.
It was 22-year-old Mujeeb, another mystery spinner and Rashid’s protégé, who made the decisive incisions, claiming the wickets of top-scorer Harry Brook, England’s best player Joe Root and all-rounder Chris Woakes, who has the ability to get crucial runs. Mujeeb had earlier made a vital 28 off just 16 balls to propel Afghanistan to a competitive total.
Skipper Shahidi indicated that the players won’t be satisfied with just one scalp. “The belief is there, the trust is there, and the talent is also there. Looking forward to the rest of the tournament. This was the first win for us (since 2015 in the World Cup) but not the last one,” he said.
Haseebullah Siddiqi, a childhood friend of Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who watched the game at the Kotla, told The Indian Express: “I am just running with the Afghan flag in the Metro. We are singing songs. This is a very emotional moment for the entire Afghan community in Delhi and those who are living abroad.”
Nazamudin Asar, a final year PHD student at Delhi University who watched the match on TV, said, “This is historical right? The English never won a war against the Afghans, and now we defeated them in their own sport. What a moment.”
Earlier, the ebbs and flows of an ODI – that make it distinct from a T20 game – were on full display during the Afghanistan innings.
It could be divided into three parts: the first when Rahmanullah Gurbaz carted the England bowlers to all parts in a century opening stand with Ibrahim Zadran, the second when England pulled Afghanistan back with their spinners Adil Rashid, Livingstone and Root leading the way, and then Ikram Alikhil, Mujeeb and Rashid getting vital runs towards the end to ensure a respectable total.
Gurbaz was at his belligerent best, scoring 80 off just 57 balls, before being run out. His assault during the powerplay left England skipper Buttler with few answers and although the run rate dropped appreciably after his dismissal, Afghanistan got the finishing kick required to post a total they could defend.
Their varied bowling attack – apart from Rashid and Mujeeb, they have veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, left-arm paceman Fazalhaq Farooqi and medium pacer Naveen-ul-Haq as their heroes – did the rest.
As far as England are concerned, they were thrashed by New Zealand in the tournament opener and while they got a convincing win over Bangladesh, this loss will make the whispers about this being an ageing side louder, as it features more than a few who participated in the victorious 2019 campaign at home.
“You got to let these defeats hurt. Let it hurt, try to figure out where we need to get better,” Buttler said.
Afghanistan celebrate after defeating England in New Delhi. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha) 
Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz in action. (REUTERS)
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