CWC 2023, Afghanistan vs England: Adil Rashid's 3-42, Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 80 and Mujeeb Ur Rahman's 3-51 are top performances. Afghanistan beat England and register their second ODI World Cup win.
Brief Score - Afghanistan - 284 all-out (R. Gurbaz 80, I. Alikhil 58, Adil Rashid 3/42) beat England 215 all-out ( H. Brook 66, Mujeeb 3/51, Rashid 3/37) by 69 runs.
Player of the match - Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (28 off 16 & 3/51)
Afghanistan beat the defending champions England, marking their second win in ODI WC history. This was the first major upset of the 2023 Men’s CWC. The ICC CWC 2023 witnessed another historic encounter as Afghanistan took England in a much-anticipated matchup at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. England head into the match after a strong 137-run victory over Bangladesh.
England, a powerhouse in world cricket, started their campaign as one of the favorites in the tournament. On the other hand, Afghanistan is a side that has rapidly jumped up through the ranks of international cricket.
Afghanistan headed winless in the game with back-to-back defeats, whereas England won one & lost one match. In the history of ODI World Cups, both teams have faced each other only twice, with England winning both.
Talking Points from Afghanistan vs England, Delhi
Afghanistan’s spin trio finally joined the party
Afghanistan registered a stunning 69-run win over England, credit to their spin trio of Mujeeb, Rashid & Nabi. The trio reigning over the famed English batting line-up. After a solid performance with the bat, the spinners led Afghanistan to a memorable win, giving the side more confidence to advance in the biggest cricketing tournament. The epic Afghan trio completely damaged the English batting with 8 crucial wickets. The Shahidi and his men have caused a major upset by announcing their dangerous spin trio’s comeback.
England's poor display with the bat
England, known as one of the strongest batting line-ups, displayed a very poor performance with the bat. The side never looked in control of the chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Harry Brook was the only lone fighter for the side but had no support from the other end. England, looking to defend the title they won four years ago, have now lost two of their opening three games. The poor batting display against not-so-favorite side Afghanistan aroused concern for the management.
Read More: CWC 2023, IND vs AFG: Rohit scores fastest WC century for India; hosts jump to second spot
Gurbaz & Alikhil power Afghanistan to their 2nd highest CWC total
England Skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and invited Afghanistan to bat first. The proceedings started with Ibrahim Zadran & Gurbaz giving their side a perfect start with a strong partnership of 114 runs between them. Soon after completing the 100-run partnership, England spinner Adil Rashid broke the partnership, which resulted in a mini-collapse as Afghanistan lost three quick wickets. Shortly, Alikhil took control and scored 58 runs before getting out to Topley. At the end of the inning, Mujeeb gave a final touch with his quick 28 runs in 16 balls. Livingston was England's most economical bowler, alongside Rashid’s best World Cup bowling figures of 3/42.
In the second innings, too, Afghanistan started perfectly with two important wickets in the powerplay, one coming in the first over itself. Shortly, England started losing their wickets quickly. The only player who kept the hopes alive for England was Harry Brook, who stood on the other side for some time, scoring 66 runs. Later, he was dismissed by Mujeeb, making it difficult for England to compete. Afghan spin trio Mujeeb, Nabi & Rashid bowled blazingly, picking 8 wickets between them.
The top three performances from the game between Afghanistan and England in CWC 2023.
Adil Rashid records his best World Cup bowling figures
England leg-spinner Adil Rashid got his most economical & productive figures against Afghanistan. He was the pick of England’s bowlers as Afghanistan were bowled out for 284 runs. Afghan batters put England on the back foot with a relentless onslaught; Adil Rashid finally struck and broke the partnership by removing Zadran. The impressive Rashid finished with 3/42 from his 10 overs, recording his best bowling figures in the tournament. He also accounted for the threatening Rashid Khan, who was looking good.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 80 off 57
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s impressive 80-run performance leads Afghanistan to their second-highest CWC total. His opening stand with Ibrahim Zadran handed their team a perfect start against the tough team. He hit some amazing cricketing shots to complete his 50 against the dangerous bowling unit, which had bowlers like Mark Wood & Sam Curran. Gurbaz was aggressive, hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes in his 80-run innings from 57 balls. This was his first ODI World Cup half-century.
Read More: CWC 2023, ENG vs NZ: Ravindra, Conway's blitzkreig ensures a 9-wicket victory for New Zealand
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman's brilliant bowling
Mujeeb’s magnificent bowling performance demolished the England batting unit. He took a very crucial wicket of Joe Root with a sensational delivery. Later, he removed the lone wolf for England in the run chase Harry Brook with a carrom ball. He played a very important role in Afghanistan’s greatest victory by picking 3 important wickets.
Statistical Highlights from Afghanistan vs England, Delhi
Ibrahim Zadran & Rahmanullah Gurbaz 114 runs partnership is now Afghanistan’s highest opening stand in ODI CWC.
The 114-run stand was Afghanistan’s only third-century partnership for any wicket in ODI CWC.
Afghanistan's 284 runs were their second-highest team total in ODI WC.
Afghanistan registered their highest powerplay score in the World Cup with 79/0.
Afghanistan scored their highest total in an ODI against England.
Adil Rashid recorded his best bowling figure in the ODI World Cup, 3/42.
With 188 wickets, Adil Rashid became England’s third-highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket, just after Anderson and Darren Gough.
ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table
Points Table Scenario & What's Next
With a historic 69-run victory over England, Afghanistan is in 6th position on the points table with 2 points, whereas England is in 5th spot with 2 points & NRR of -0.084. Australia will take on Sri Lanka in the next match of CWC 2023 on October 16 at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
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