(Cricket News) Australia and Afghanistan are set to face each other at the Wankhede Stadium in the 39th match of the Cricket World Cup. The last time these two teams faced each other in an ODI World Cup, Australia beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets.
What to Expect
Australia and Afghanistan are set to face each other in a much awaited clash as their is a bit of history between this teams. Earlier this year, Australia abandoned a bilateral ODI series against Afghanistan due to Taliban’s treatment of women. This caused tension between the two teams and caused the cricket community to buzz online.
Australia need just one more victory to qualify for the semi-finals. Afghanistan need two wins to qualify for their first semi-final of an ICC event and they have a huge mountain to climb as they try to overcome Australia and South Africa.
Match timings
Match toss time: 13:30 IST (11:00 GMT)
Match start time: 14:00 IST (11:30 GMT)
Match venue: Wankhede Stadium
Head-to-Head
Matches played: 3. AUS: 3. AFG: 0.
Notable Stats
Highest Run Scorer: David Warner (291 runs)
Highest Wicket Taker: Mitchell Starc (7 Wickets)
Weather Conditions: 34°C, Sunny
Average first inning score: 247 runs
Team News and Probable Playing XI
Afghanistan (AFG):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Australia (AUS):
Travis Head, David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
Predictions
SpogoNews predicts Australia will beat Afghanistan.
See also: Explaining World Cup Semi-final Scenarios for All Five Teams