ENG vs AFG World Cup 2023 Highlights: Afghan players celebrate their win against England. (Reuters) England vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 Highlights: Inspired by Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s three wicket haul, Afghanistan produced a big upset at the 2023 ODI World Cup as they beat defending champions by 69 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Afghanistan were all out for 284 against defending champions England in their ICC World Cup match on Sunday. England won the toss and opted to bowl. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz top-scored for Afghanistan with a 57-ball 80 before being run out while his opening partner, Ibrahim Zadran, contributed 28 in a first-wicket partnership of 114 in 16 overs. Replacing Najibullah Zadran in the playing XI, Ikram Alikhil grabbed the opportunity with both hands and made 58 off 66 balls, while star leg-spinner Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman chipped in 23 and 28, respectively. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid picked up 3/42 for England.
England are one of the most formidable teams in the world, and they are the favorites to win this match. Afghanistan are a rapidly improving team, but they are still not at the same level as England. They have some talented players in their squad, such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but they lack the consistency of a top team. Scroll down to follow the ENG vs AFG highlights
England
215 (40.3)Afghanistan
284 (49.5)Afghanistan beat England by 69 runs
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott during England practice. REUTERS
There we have it the first upset of the tournament Afghanistan thrash England by 69 runs. The wicket was turning and gripping a bit and the Afghan spinners made full use of it. Buttler won the toss and opted to bowl first and it did backfire. The dew never came and the wicket continued to get worse and worse as the evening went on. With the loss England's playoff spot is under threat now in the remaining games they can only afford to lose one. Afghanistan on the other hand have registered their second World Cup win of the campaign and will be over the moon with the performance and result. Special mention to Mujeeb and Gurbaz who have been absolutely sensational on the day.
Rashid Khan with a googly and Mark Wood is cleaned up!
Afghanistan have pulled off the first upset of the 2023 ODI World Cup. A comprehensive 69 run win at Kotla and the defending champions have been dominated. Their second loss from three outings at this World Cup. For Afghanistan, a first win at this edition of the tournament. A night to remember!
Adil picked up Khan in the first innings and the latter returned the favour now. The ball turned and took the outside edge of Adil and was taken by the slip. We are almost moments away from witnessing a miracle here in Delhi.
That's the big fish with that wicket we are almost there. Afghanistan are getting two points and finally, we have an upset. Brook was the last hope Afghanistan had as they were hanging to it he tried to cut a wide one and got the outside edge for keeper to take a simple catch.
Another one bites the dust as Woakes tries to drive one gets beaten all ends up and gets bowled. It was a terrific over from Mujeeb as he kept bowling brilliant deliveries one after the other a batter from top order would have struggled with that one poor Woakes what he could have done. Now it looks like Afghanistan will get their two points now.
Here's what Joe Root had to say in the pre-match press conference about the Afghanistan spin threat. Reading it back now, you could say only Harry Brook has so far managed to come anywhere close to what Root was hoping England batters would look to do:
"I think more than anything we make sure that we face what we need to and we concentrate on ourselves more than anything. I think that's the key. We all know our game is against Spinners. Making sure that when we get out there, we're confident in what our boundary options are going to be, how we're going to rotate, strike and build those big partnerships. I don't think that changes, it comes back to the basics of the game.
Vinayakk: Doing them for long periods of time, playing the ball, not the man, all those clichés that seem to come out when you're talking about high pressure games.
So, it's just about doing that time and time again and making sure that you're doing it consistently well for a period of time so you stay on top."
The ball spun sharply as it pitched outside the off-stump of Sam Curran and he edged it for slip to take a simple catch. While Brook has crossed 50 from the other end it has been a sorry batting card for England. Looks like they are at the receiving end of a massive upset and they will now be 2 losses in one game and one of the losses is coming against a team which they would have banked two points with before the tournament. We are into English tail now as Chris Woakes walks in he is not a mug with the bat but can contribute a bit but these are very different conditions from what he is used to. After 28 over ENG 141/6
The Afghan skipper has decided to go all guns blazing from both ends. With a left-hander coming into the crease in Sam Curran, they have gone to off-spinner Nabi who still has eight overs left. There is a slight dew on the out-field which is settling in now and we have to wait and see if this will affect the Afghan spinners or not but irrespective of that they have a head start in the game and they have close it from here and got their two points. England on the other hand again needs to build a partnership here. After 24 over ENG 129/5
Well well! we are getting there Livingstone was trapped in front it was a straight one Livingstone trying to work the ball on the leg-side but missed it completely. The umpire has given out Livingstone was convinced he was out yet he went for the review and we had three reds. It is happening, folks! looks like we are having our first upset. Harry Brook is giving his all from the other end but partners from the other end are walking back continuously. The Afghan skipper might consider bringing in spin from both ends as now we are into all-rounders of England. After 21.2 over ENG 119/5
Couple of days before Afghanistan’s game against India in Delhi, the Afghans in the capital are yearning for their roots. At a post-graduate men’s hostel in Delhi University’s North Campus, Haseebullah Siddiqi, who fled Afghanistan in August last year before the Taliban regime took over, was taking recipe instructions from his mother
Haseebullah, actor in Punjabi movies, is preparing a feast for his childhood friend Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper-batter. (Read more from Pratyush Raj)
Naveen does the trick the ball moves back in sharply Buttler throws his bat at a wide one without any foot movement and pays the price as the ball sneaks in between the bat and pads. The pressure is really turning on England now. Naveen is middle of an absolutely sensational spell here. England are four down Liam Livingstone has walked into the middle he might have to consolidate for a bit before going after the bowling. The Afghan spinner has unleashed his ace bowler now. The Afghanistan side tends to use Rashid Khan late in the piece when the batters are supposed to go after the bowling. After 17.3 over ENG 96/4
The wicket continues to get worse and there is no sign of dew yet. This is looking more and more difficult for England as spinners are getting a strangle hold. Every over passes by there is an odd one which is keeping low and an odd one is turning sharply. It is important that England consolidate for a bit and see which bowlers to target when they comeback for second spells if there is no dew. If dew makes its appearance things will get easy if not England are in deep deep trouble and they have play out of their skins to win this game. After 15.3 over ENG 73/3
It was a beautiful delivery from Nabi he bowled it slower through the air and got revolutions on the ball Malan was beaten in the flight and drove loosely for the mid-wicket fielder inside the ring on off-side taking a simple catch. Massive wicket for Afghanistan as Malan is one player who has been in excellent form in recent times. England needs to be careful here as Afghanistan spinners have started to dominate. Rashid Khan is yet to be brought into the attack and once he gets in things might get even more complicated. Jos Buttler and Harry Brook are in the middle and they need to build a partnership. After 14 over ENG 69/3
A 50-over innings is a long time, and a team usually needs more than one batsman getting a substantial score to get a match-winning total. But as long as Rahmanullah Gurbaz stayed at the wicket, he singlehandedly gave Afghanistan hope.
What the Afghan opener showed at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, ignited hope that he could be the first genuine world-class batsman produced by his country. Comfortable against spin and unfazed by pace, Gurbaz gave his team such impetus at the top that a total of 350 was not beyond the realms of possibility. It was only after skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi contrived to get his main batsman run out, in quest of a non-existent single on the first ball he faced, that England could afford to breathe a little easier and Afghanistan finished at 284, using up 49.5 overs. The run rate that was going at sevens and eights till he was at the crease, plummeted to just over four in the passage of play that followed Gurbaz’s dismissal, coupled with frequent wickets. (Read more from Tushar Bhaduri)
It was a straight delivery which kept a tad bit low and Root had no answers for the delivery and got bowled. It is excellent bowling from Mujeeb he has been hitting the stumps consistently and eventually one kept low. Root is a key player for England especially in these conditions when the ball is turning he could have been an ideal candidate to anchor this chase however, not to be today. Harry Brook has walked into the middle the first priority for England is to build a partnership right now and wait for the dew to set in. After 8.1 over ENG 37/2
The progression of Afghanistan from an associate nation to a full-time member has been remarkable. On their journey, they have produced some skilful cricketers. They will be a tricky team to face for any side in the tournament. Though they had a poor outing in the last World Cup in 2019 in England conditions this time Indian conditions will be a lot more favourable to their world-class spinners Rahsid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi. In the pace department, they have Fazalhaq Farooqi who is good both with the new ball and at the backend. Their bowling will be their massive strength. In the batting department, they have Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top who can take the game away from any opposition on a given day. However, skipper Hasmatullah Shahidi’s contributions in the middle order along with others will be crucial for Afghanistan to have a decent campaign.
The left-arm-seamer is getting quite a bit of swing here and he is troubling the batters with his skills. This is top-class bowling from Farooqi he did look ordinary in the Asia Cup but he has started the tournament well. If he can pick one more wicket with this new ball Afghanistan would belive they can win today. Mujeeb from the other end too has started well he throwing up all the skills up his sleeve. There is also no signs of dew at the moment which is a good sign for the Afghanistan bowlers and it may be ideal for them to get as many overs as possible of spin before 8-8:30 local time. After 4 over ENG 19/1
Farooqi picks up the wicket as the ball pitches and moves in a bit and Bairstow who is known to have a problem with full deliveries early in his innings could not make contact with the bat. Rod Tucker on-field gave it out however, Bairstow reviewed the decision and the ball tracking did show there were two umpire's calls out of three. Bairstow might consider himself unlucky but the ball is clipping the stumps. Just the start Afghanistan needed. Joe Root walks into the middle and England needs to build a partnership here but the tricky part is ball is swinging. After 1 over ENG 7/1
Looked like a good pitch first up. I think the reason we bowled first was hoping the dew comes in and makes it a bit better second time out. It was a bit harder against spin but it was a good pitch overall. I tried to bring the stumps into play as much as I could and it came off well. It is something which I really worked on. Being the sixth bowler, you don’t always get to bowl. Sometimes I'm not needed and sometimes I'm thrown into the deep end like today. It's something I pride on. Thankfully it came out well today. I work hard, making sure the leg spinners come out really well. I try to work on my off-spin whenever I can, it doesn’t come as naturally but I enjoy bowling.
Courtesy of the opener and some cameos from the end Afghanistan reached a decent total given the surface is turning and gripping. If there won't be any dew in the second innings it will be quite a tricky chase for England. Going into the break neither team would be overly happy with their performance. There were some good moments for both sides and equally terrible moments. England does have a chase on their hands and given the quality of Afghan spinners we may even see an upset. Stay with us for all the live action from second innings.
This has been an excellent hand from Mujeeb to provide the final impetus to the total. Afghanistan have now somehow got themselves to a total they can work with from here. If there is no dew in the second innings and the wicket remains to be the same Afghanistan might have a chance for an upset. Buttler will be frustrated with these runs coming at the end it also shows England's death bowling is a concern and going forward in the tournament if there are two set batters at the end they can capitalise these final overs against them. After 47 overs AFG 263/7
Another wicket for Adil Rashid. Rashid Khan tried to hoik the other Rashid down the ground but the former threw the ball slower through the air which the latter did not pick up but went through with the shot however, Joe Root at long-on boundary took a stunning catch diving and ran to his right. Fabulous day for Adil he came into the attack when Afghanistan was thrashing the bowlers. The moment he realised the wicket was gripping he immediately found the right pace for the surface hitting that mark regularly which did not allow the batters to score against him. After 45.1 overs AFG 238/7
There is a nice mini-partnership building for Afghanistan in the final stages of the game. Rashid Khan since he came into the crease has been fantastic. He has converted ones into twos and hit the odd boundary to keep run-rate in check. Ikram on the other hand, who came very early in the game to bat kept his head despite wickets falling from the other end. These are not exactly frustrating runs as England does know Rashid Khan can bat but this might be a partnership which later may come to bite back England if the wicket remains the same and there is no turn on offer. After 43.1 overs AFG 231/6
Thomas Donald Topley says he hasn’t spoken to his son yet but that they waved at each other after the latter helped guide England to their first win at the 2023 ODI World Cup in Dharamshala on Tuesday. Speaking to The Indian Express at the HPCA Stadium after the match, Don – a former player and coach himself – takes us through Reece’s 4-fer. But first, he wears a father’s cap.
“I have huge admiration for the way he keeps coming back. Lesser, better players, probably wouldn’t have come back,” says Don, who’s talking about his son’s constant bouts with injuries. “He’s had five stress fractures, he’s had a back operation, he tore his ankle at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year, then he had a terrible fall in his first IPL game.” (Read more from Rahul Pandey)
Wood had one of the smallest run-ups as a bowler who bowls that quickly. The only bowler similar to him is India’s Jasprit Bumrah. The short run-up meant that Wood was prone to injuries in the early part of his career.
Wood has acknowledged in the past that the process to change the length of the run-up began after advice from former West Indian cricketer Michael Holding.
“I told him what I felt: that he was rushing to get into the crease, as if he were thinking ‘oh I have to get there in a certain number of steps’. Instead of relaxing and gliding, he was rushing, almost anxious to get to the crease to release the ball. To me, it looked uncomfortable.” Holding said to The Indian Express.
Holding also recalled a conversation Wood had after picking nine wickets in a Test match at Johannesburg in 2020 after lengthening the run-up. “He would tell me later that he was a bit stubborn, then. And I can understand. Changing something that you are accustomed to isn’t easy. You can think “oh I am hitting almost 90, why change and mess up?”
Wood bowled a quick delivery which hit the hard length and bounced a bit. Nabi who was looking for a full delivery was surprised by the bounce and the ball hit the splice of the bat for a gully fielder to take a simple catch. These are testing times for Afghanistan batters now it is not about scoring for them it is about staying till the 50th over in the middle. This is an excellent comeback from the England bowlers they did start a bit rustily once Adil Rashid picked a couple of wickets in middle-overs things changed dramatically. Rashid Khan has walked into the middle for Afghanistan so expect some fireworks. After 36.5 overs AFG 198/5
This is a good move from Buttler to give a short burst to Wood as not a lot of Afghanistan batters are comfortable against pace. Nabi has walked into the middle and is an excellent striker of the cricket ball especially against the spin. He will be looking to counter-attack now which will not be a bad ploy because after the initial opening partnership Afghanistan did go back to its shell a bit. There seems to be a genuine problem with the Afghan middle-order players on how to manage the tempo of middle overs from 10-30 and they might need to come up with better plans going forward in the tournament. After 34.4 overs AFG 184/5
The Afghanistan skipper has been struggling throughout his stay at the crease. He was unable to rotate the strike and was not able to get any boundaries either. Joe Root bowled a delivery at the off-stump which was not that short but Hashmatullah tried to cut it and missed it completely. Important wicket for Joe Root who started with a few loose balls but now slowly but steadily is getting into his spell. Afghanistan are now losing their way. The wicket is gripping if they can post a par score on the board they can give themselves a chance as they have three top-class spinners. After 32.2 overs AFG 174/5
Joe Root and Livingstone are operating from either end now. It is a sign of how slow this wicket has been. Afghanistan captain at the toss felt like they should be getting to at least 300 we only have to wait and see if they can get there. It may also not be a bad ploy for Buttler to get Mark Wood from one end as Hashmathullah has had his fair share of troubles against extreme pace as we have witnessed in Asia Cup recently bringing him back may rattle the batters a bit. Nevertheless, Livingstone is bowling fantastically well and he might bowl his complete quota today. After 29.3 overs AFG 166/4
Buttler has decided to go back to his seamer who has been not having a good day and he delivered another poor over. The intent of Woakes may be right by bowling slower ones because of the slowness of the surface but the problem has been he is not getting his lengths right. He is delivering hit-me balls which are going for runs and releasing all the pressure on batters. Woakes also does not seem to be 100% fit and his rhythm has been woefully off today. We also might see soon Reece Topley brought into the attack. Meanwhile, Livingstone picks a wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai. After 26 overs AFG 152/4
This has been a stunning spell from Rashid. He did give away a few runs early on however, once he realised there was a bit of turn on this surface he started to bowl slower and slower through the air and it was gripping quite a bit. Even Livingstone who is operating from the other end is getting quite a bit of purchase. The way this wicket is playing we might even see Joe Root chip in with a few overs. Afghanistan need to build a partnership now since the wicket is turning and given the quality of spinners in their side if they can put on a par score they may try and defend it. After 23.2 overs AFG 137/3
First, it was Rahmat then the very next ball Gurbaz gets himself run. It was a lame attempt when the Afghan skipper Hasmatullah dabbed the ball to the leg-side and went for a single the fielder inside the ring got to the ball quickly and threw to Buttler and Gurbaz was nowhere near and despite the dive from the batter, it was too late. We are in the midst of a mini-collapse now and Afghanistan need to rebuild the innings. England has turned things around drastically in the last 15 minutes or so and Topley is on the field again. After 20.1 overs AFG 126/3
It is fair to say that if not for his unfortunate injury during the IPL playing for RCB Topley’s stock was on the rise and he was on his way to becoming an elite bowler. The 29-year-old will be one of the major threats when teams play against England. He is quick, strong and can swing the ball. In addition to this, he also can hit hard lengths regularly, which can draw the batsman forward and force them to be in two minds – to play the ball or leave it. Meanwhile, Rashid picked up his second wicket of Rahmat and we have witnessed some turn on this wicket for the first time as Buttler stumped the batter. After 16.4 overs AFG 114/1
While trying to stop a boundary of Mark Wood's delivery Topley has injured himself and is walking back. This is a huge blow for England as he is the one bowler who looked good today and even in the previous game. He has been injury prone and if he is to be out for a sustainable period of time England will be struggling for options in their bowling. Meanwhile, Adil Rashid has created the opening for England as Zadran tried to chip one over mid-wicket but could not get the elevation and was caught inside the ring. It is the England tweaker who does the damage again. After 16.4 overs AFG 114/1
The England skipper did use all his five bowlers in the first 12 overs and the bowlers have yet to create any inroads. Adil Rashid is England's premium spinner and with two right-handers in the middle at least in theory he needs to have an advantage but Gurbaz who is good at sweeps seems to enjoy his bowling as well. Buttler might consider bringing in Liam Livingstone into the attack who can bowl both off-spin and leg-spin and he might be looking to bowl the latter option with two right-handers in the middle. It has not at all gone to plan for England bowlers after opting to bowl first. After 14.1 overs AFG 106/0
This has been a brilliant start from the opener. When he is in full flow there are not many players at the top of the order who can do the damage as he does. He has started well here he also has the reputation of making it big when getting a start. The conditions are excellent for batting and the boundaries are small and the England bowling attack already seems to be on the backfoot. He might be looking to eye a big one today once again. Zadran at the other end is playing his role at this point in time he is playing second fidel. After 10 overs AFG 79/0
As expected Woakes has been taken out of attack and Sam Curran has been brought in. We might see Curran slip in a few slower ones and bumpers to try and negate the scoring rate. Gurbaz and Zadran have now put up a 50-run stand. It is starting to get a bit concerning now for England as they would have hoped to pick up early wickets and bowl Afghanistan out cheaply but these openers seem to have different plans. Also in the first few overs what we are seeing is England bowlers slipping in slow bowlers this early in the game be they do reckon it might grip later. After 8.1 overs AFG 56/0
This is a top start for Afghanistan once again. The openers are the two main batters for them and their delivering runs will be crucial for their success in the campaign. Also one must say these are excellent batting conditions and Woakes has not started well either with the new ball. Topley from the other end is bowling but he needs a partner who can support him. We might have seen the last over from Woakes in this initial spell and maybe bringing him back into the attack once the field is spread may be ideal. England does have plenty of bowling options in the arsenal both in the spin and pace departments. After 5.5 overs AFG 45/0
This is a poor start from the England new ball bowler he is coming on back from an injury but he is bowling too many loose ones on this flat wicket and letting Afghanistan batters off the hook. He is known for discipline is Chris Woakes but seems like he is not his 100% yet. Kudos to Afghanistan openers who realised Woakes might be a bit rusty and are going after him. Topley on the other hand is looking absolutely terrific and seems like he is continuing from where he left off against Bangladesh in their previous game. Seems like it will be not a one-sided affair after all. After 3.2 overs AFG 21/0
The England fast bowler coming on the back of illness has started poorly here. He bowled a wide one which Jos Buttler missed and the ball ran through to the boundary. He is getting no swing of this new ball in the first over. Afghanistan openers despite the fragile middle-order are looking to go hard at the new ball here. Reece Topley has taken the other new ball let us see if he can get any swing today. It is hot once again here in Delhi it is a strange decision from Buttler to win the toss and opt to bowl first. Given these conditions here. After 2 overs AFG 7/0
It's hot, but there is some breeze coming along. 66m and 58m square boundaries, while the straight hit is at 72m. This is a pitch full of runs, not a lot of turn and there could be a bit of dew in the evening. Win the toss and bowl first, any total is chaseable,
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
2. Ibrahim Zadran
3. Rahmat Shah
4. Hashmat Shahidi (C)
5. Mohammad Nabi
6. Azmat Omarzai
7. Ikram Ali Khil
8. Rashid Khan
9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman
10. Naveen-ul-Haq
11. Fazal Farooqi
Jonny Bairstow(w/c), Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley
England win the toss and elect to bowl first against Afghanistan. "We will bowl first. No particular reason, looks like a good wicket and we'll like to chase. We are going with an unchanged side. LOoks like a good batting strip, South Africa and India posted big scores. I think we've improved a lot from the first to the second game, we just have to show the same intensity." - says Jos Buttler
Mohammad Nabi is playing in his 150th ODI today and he has been presented with a plaque.
Dinesh Karthik and Lisa Sthalekar bring the pitch report: "This pitch is full of runs, not a lot of turn and there could be a bit of dew in the evening. Win the toss and bowl first, any total is chaseable."
Afghanistan's bowling too looked ordinary in both the matches and the team would look for a much-improved outing from the likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan in the upcoming games to match the might of teams such as England, New Zealand and Australia.
Afghanistan's concern lies in all departments of their game. In their first outing against Bangladesh, the batters faltered, making a below-par 156. Then, against a batting-heavy India, the bowling attack fumbled despite posting a competitive 272. Afghanistan's main concern is the performance of their openers. In the two matches they have played so far, both the openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, have failed to provide a decent start, which resulted in the team's downfall.
England would not just look for a victory against Afghanistan but would also want to win the match handsomely to boost their net run rate (NRR), which took a beating in their opener. The Afghans, on the other hand, are low on confidence after successive defeats.
The star spinner is not as effective in the 50-over format as he is in the 20-over one, and the Kotla pitch and the small ground might play into the hands of the big hitters in the England line-up. Rashid’s bowling is likely to make a difference only if Afghanistan make a decent fist of it with the bat.
Dashers Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone are yet to come to the party, meaning it’s often the likes of Sam Curran and Chris Woakes in the middle during the death overs. Brook’s low returns have put the spotlight on the prospects of Stokes making a comeback to the playing XI. Root didn’t end the suspense regarding the left-hander when he addressed the media on the eve of the game.
For a team based on taking no prisoners with the bat, it’s actually the calmness that Dawid Malan – who scored a ton against Bangladesh – and Joe Root bring that could be the deciding factor.
England are one of the fancied sides in the World Cup, though there may be some whispers of it being a Dad’s Army, with more than a few survivors from the successful 2019 campaign. Add to it the uncertainty surrounding their talisman Ben Stokes and they can’t afford to put a foot wrong. Having lost their opener against New Zealand – it was a mauling, in fact – the margin of error from them has gone down, even if it’s still early days in the competition.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and a convincing win over Bangladesh doesn’t necessarily mean England are back to their best. These are alien conditions for the defending champions and they would be better advised not to take anything for granted, even if it’s a game against Afghanistan on a Kotla pitch predicted to be a belter. (READ MORE)