Australia and Afghanistan will face each for the first time in the history of T20Is at the Adelaide Oval on Friday in an important Group 1 fixture of the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
Afghanistan after losing two matches against England and Sri Lanka and having two other matches against New Zealand and Ireland abandoned due to rain are out of the reckoning for a semifinal spot.
But it is the hosts and defending champions Australia whose chances of making into the semis hang by a thread. Australia lost their World Cup opener against New Zealand by a huge margin. The Aaron Finch-led side bounced back to defeat Sri Lanka and Ireland. But in between the wins over Sri Lanka and Ireland, Australia had a match against England washed out due to poor weather. This means Australia are currently third in Group 1 behind New Zealand and England with a net run rate of -0.304. If Australia have to qualify for the semi-finals then no not only need to win against Afghanistan but also win handsomely to cover up the net run rate.
But ahead of this virtual knockout for the reigning champions, they have major injury issues. Captain Aaron Finch, Tim David, and Marcus Stoinis are doubtful for the match after they sustained injuries against Ireland. Australia would be taking a last-minute call if the three players could be risked against Afghanistan or not. Doubling Australia's worries is the wretched form of opener David Warner. The left-handed batsman has been dismissed on the scores of 5.11 and 3 in this World Cup. If there is any glimmer of hope for Australia it is the form of fast bowlers Mitchell Star, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. Finch would hope that the three bowlers more than makeup for the poor show of the batsmen.
With nothing at stake, Afghanistan would be itching to bow out from this World Cup on a high and also spoil Australia's party. Afghanistan are known to spring surprises every now and then and this World Cup has had its own fair share of shocking wins.
Form Guide (last five matches)
Australia: W-W-L-L-L
Afghanistan: L-L-L-L-L
Australia vs Afghanistan Head-to-head
Matches played: -
Australia wins: -
Afghanistan wins: -
The two teams haven't faced each other in a T20I match before.
Pitch
The Adelaide Oval wicket will be batting-friendly. Expect runs galore from the side batting first.
Weather conditions
According to Accuweather, the evening of Adelaide will be partly cloudy with the temperature around 11°C. The chances of rain are minimal.
Possible XIs
Australia possible XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan possibls XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Usman Ghani, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Top fantasy picks suggestions
Batsmen: Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Wicketkeeper: Matthew Wade
All-rounders: Mohammad Nabi, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Mitchell Starc Adam Zampa
Betting odds (bet 365)
Australia: 1.10
Afghanistan: 7.00
Where to watch
The match starts at 1.30 PM IST. In India, the match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network. Online viewers can follow the live-action via Disney+Hotstar
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