The 2023 ICC ODI World Cup has already witnessed its fair share of surprises and upsets, and the latest one came as defending champions England faced a shocking defeat at the hands of Afghanistan. With this resounding win, Afghanistan has climbed up to the 6th position on the points table, leaving Australia languishing at the bottom.
Australia at the bottom of the World Cup points table.
Which alternate universe is this? ___ pic.twitter.com/gL62mcrr7C
— Sumit (@_RKSumit) October 15, 2023
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The Impact on the Points Table
With this impressive victory, Afghanistan has moved up to the 6th position on the points table, underlining their growing prowess in ODI cricket. On the other hand, defending champions England find themselves in a precarious position, with just two points from three matches.
Points Table After the Match
As a result of this thrilling encounter, here’s how the points table stands:
- India – 6 points
- New Zealand – 6 points
- South Africa – 4 points
- Pakistan – 4 points
- Afghanistan – 2 points
- England – 2 points
- Bangladesh – 2 points
- Sri Lanka – 0 points
- Netherlands – 0 points
- Australia – 0 points
Afghanistan’s Remarkable Victory
In a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, Afghanistan posted a challenging total of 284, with several of their batsmen contributing to the scoreboard. Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the charge with a blistering 80 runs off 57 balls, laying the foundation for Afghanistan’s innings. The bowlers supported the batsmen well, and Afghanistan managed to take all ten wickets before reaching their total. The England bowlers faced a tough challenge from the Afghan batsmen, with Adil Rashid taking three crucial wickets. Mark Wood also contributed with two wickets, but Afghanistan’s determined batting effort allowed them to set a competitive target.
England’s Struggle
In response, England’s chase got off to a shaky start as Jonny Bairstow fell for just two runs. Despite some contributions from the middle order, including a fighting 66 from Harry Brook, England lost wickets at regular intervals. Afghanistan’s spinners, particularly Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan, made life difficult for the English batsmen. The Afghanistan bowlers showed great control, and their fielders supported them with brilliant catches and agile ground fielding. The result was that England could only manage 215 runs before being bowled out in the 41st over.
The 2023 ICC ODI World Cup continues to be full of surprises and nail-biting contests. Afghanistan’s remarkable victory against England has not only boosted their morale but also sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. With more exciting matches on the horizon, cricket fans can expect this World Cup to be one for the books.