AFG vs AUS: Australia made their way through to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 after rain abandoned a high-drama match against Afghanistan. The game, perched on a knife’s edge, was halted with Australia at 109 for 1 in pursuit of 274 runs. For Afghanistan, qualification now depends on an improbable blush-faced loss of South Africa to England.
AFG vs AUS: Rain interrupts the chase, Australia kicks off with a good start
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Australia got off to a flying start in its run chase, tracking down the target of 274. Despite pulling back with a quadricep crack after sustaining an injury during the match, Short was at the fore in taking Australia to 44 in just five overs with Head.
Short was reduced to an almost stand-and-deliver role as he could barely run, but, still, it took something out of Afghanistan, reminding them of Glenn Maxwell’s double-century against them during the 2023 World Cup.
But Afghanistan dropped an early catch, with Rashid Khan dropping Head for a mere 6 runs after miscuing a pull shot. Head followed up the dropped catch with a six, and the rare miss was now even more costly for Afghanistan. On 19, Short was reprieved again when substitute fielder Nangialai Kharoti dropped a catch at deep square leg but could not take advantage as he was out shortly afterward, caught by mid-on.
Before it could cost Afghanistan dearly, Travis Head decided to seize the day as he padded to an exciting half-century off 34 balls. The Afghan bowlers, indeed, found it impossible to stop Head and acting skipper Steven Smith.
Rainclouds, however, persisted in their threatening presence and finally intervened just as the game seemed to be irreversibly tilting in Australia’s favor, by which time Australia was on 109 for 1 with 13 overs complete already. Heavy downpours disrupted play, and the match eventually was abandoned.
A rollercoaster of Afghanistan’s innings in AFG vs AUS Champions Trophy 2025
Earlier, after winning the toss, Afghanistan had batted first. Their total was a mixture of both highs and lows: 273 runs off 50. Sediqullah Atal made a mark and counted in his long innings 85 runs off 95 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes with the support of Azmatullah Omarzai, who bashed 67 runs from 63 balls, for Afghanistan’s total gave cause for hope near the end of the innings.
But soon after they began to pile their runs, continued unfortunate dismissals of Ibrahim Zadran for 22 and Rahmat Shah for 9 broke the rhythm of Afghanistan’s innings.
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It was Omarzai, however, who helped Afghanistan recover later on, having had five sixes, pushing even closer to hitting the 275 mark. But perhaps their 37 extras helped change the tide even further, being the fifth-highest quantity ever conceded by Australia in ODI cricket!
Australia’s bowlers had inconsistent performances. Left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson played early yet well to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a tremendous inswinging yorker in the first over of the day. But after the initial breakthrough, Johnson was erratic, and Australia’s bowlers found it difficult to contain the runs.
Still effective were Hetton Zampa and Glenn Maxwell, with Zampa dismissing Rahmat Shah and Johnston striking on Atal, helping Afghanistan to falter in the middle of their innings.
Rain Dashes Afghanistan’s Semi-Final Hopes in Champions Trophy 2025
The rain not only extinguished the Australian chase but also dampened Afghanistan’s chances for tournament progression. After just 3 points on board, Afghanistan’s qualification rests on an improbable and huge defeat handed to South Africa by England. With South Africa with a better net run rate, the Afghan chances of advancing have been stretched really thin.
Key Moments and Big Picture in Champions Trophy 2025
Australia’s bowling attack needed more early breakthroughs while absent of their regular quicks like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. However, he was quite a fire on pace with precision since Johnson’s advance. The movement off the pitch left by the rain troubled the Afghan batsmen, particularly Atal.
The middle-order batting and part-time bowling saw Australia shine without shining so much. Marnus Labuschagne’s leg spin worked against England while Matthew Short was effective with the ball, giving away just 21 runs in 7 overs. The fielding incidents that transpired, such as Noor Ahmad’s run-out controversy involving him and Inglis against the bails, became later inconsequential but at least highlighted the tensions and dramas in the game.
Rain filed away with Afghanistan’s visions of qualifying for the semi-final and gave four points to Australia to qualify. Plenty of excitement was laden to continue the match, but circumstances in line with the weather squelched any of it. Australia will now advance toward a date with the semi-finals, while Afghanistan will have to wait for a miraculous turnaround of events in which South Africa serves their hopes of being alive in the contest.
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