Australia advance to Champions Trophy semi-final after rain washes out clash against Afghanistan
Cricket
Before the rain interruption, Australia had scored 109 runs for the loss of one wicket
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Australia secured their spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals as their crucial match against Afghanistan at Gaddafi Stadium was abandoned due to rain.
Before the rain interruption, Australia had scored 109 runs for the loss of one wicket in 12.5 overs while chasing a target of 274.
Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and decided to bat. Sediqullah Atal scored 85 runs while Azmat played a handy 67 runs, leading their side to post 273 runs on the board.
Ben Dwarshuis picked up three wickets while Adam Zampa and Johnson grabbed two wickets each.
Both sides have met in some gripping recent encounters in ICC events, adding even more spice to this contest.
At the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, a Glenn Maxwell classic helped Australia across the line. Afghanistan would pull one back against the Aussies at last year's Men's T20 World Cup in another thriller.
Afghanistan’s form has been mixed, but they will enter their match with Australia filled with confidence, after getting the better of England on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Australia launched their tournament campaign with a convincing win over England, before their huge showdown with South Africa was abandoned due to the rain.
Squads
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
