ENG vs AFG Review: Afghanistan shock England in a World Cup upset
The 13th match of the ODI World Cup 2032 was played between Afghanistan and England at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi and the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side shocked the defending champions in an encounter for the ages. English captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field first on a pitch that seemed favourable for batting.
Afghanistan’s opening batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran started off aggressively and formed an impressive partnership of 79 runs in the first ten overs, putting pressure on England’s bowlers. Adil Rashid managed to break the opening stand by dismissing Zadran. England followed up with two more crucial wickets in quick time to make a comeback.
Gurbaz was later run out due to a misunderstanding with captain Shahidi, and Mark Wood’s extra pace troubled the Afghan batters, resulting in wickets falling in the middle overs.Despite these setbacks, Ikram Alikhil played a classy innings of 58, contributing to Afghanistan’s total of 284 runs. England, however, were a bit loose towards the end of their bowling innings.
Chasing the target, England got off to a poor start as Jonny Bairstow was dismissed by Fazalhaq Farooqi. Joe Root and David Malan were also quickly dismissed, putting England in trouble. Jos Buttler was then dismissed by Naveen-ul-Haq, further complicating England’s situation.
Harry Brook played a gutsy knock of 66 off 61 balls from one end, but once Mujeeb dismissed him, it became clear that Afghanistan had control over the match. Mujeeb bowled brilliantly and took three important wickets in the middle overs, dismantling England’s middle order. In the end, Afghanistan secured a historic victory, defeating England by a significant margin of 69 runs.
Top Performers of the Match
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (80 of 57)
Gurbaz displayed his skills from the very beginning. He played some outstanding shots, particularly excelling in drives and pulls against the pace of Mark Wood and Sam Curran. Although he fell short of a century due to a misunderstanding with Shahidi, Gurbaz’s innings included eight fours and four sixes before being run out.
Rashid Khan (3/37, 9.2 overs)
Rashid Khan showcased his exceptional bowling skills on a challenging wicket that offered assistance to the bowlers. He outfoxed Liam Livingstone with a brilliant leg spin, setting the
stage for Afghanistan’s triumph against the reigning champions, England. Furthermore, Rashid Khan swiftly dismissed the lower-order batters, ensuring Afghanistan’s historic victory.
What next?
Going ahead, Afghanistan will play against New Zealand on October 18 while England will take on South Africa on October 21
