Australia’s cricketers failed to crack the millstone placed around their necks by a poor start to the Twenty20 World Cup, unable to beat Afghanistan by enough runs to pass England’s net run rate and left relying on Sri Lanka to beat Jos Buttler’s team.
An 89-run hiding by New Zealand in the opening game in Sydney, followed by a washout against England in Melbourne, had the Australians needing something extraordinary in Adelaide, and a nervy four-run win over Rashid Khan’s team in front of 18,672 spectators was nothing special.
Glenn Maxwell made his highest T20 score for Australia since March 2021. Credit:Getty Images
Instead, hamstrung captain Aaron Finch must hope Australia’s successful tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year, in the midst of that country’s economic and political crisis, will be repaid by an unexpected victory for the team now coached by the former England mentor Chris Silverwood.
By contrast, ex-Australian women’s team coach Matthew Mott, now with England alongside assistants Mike Hussey and David Saker, can helm the elimination of his countrymen the year after they unexpectedly won the title in the UAE.
With no Finch (who may well have played his last international), no Tim David (hamstring) and no Mitchell Starc (dropped), Australia’s last throw of the dice against Afghanistan was a world away from the formula tried to begin the tournament at the SCG.
David Warner (25), Mitchell Marsh (45), Marcus Stoinis (25) and Glenn Maxwell (54 not out) all made useful contributions, though none were able to put together the dominant innings or partnership that Australia needed to surpass 200.
Afghanistan’s reply was characterised by some big early hits from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (30), and then an impish final fling by Rashid (48, 23 balls), who larruped sixes off Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood and Stoinis to narrow the winning margin to a single boundary.
Adam Zampa (2-22) and Pat Cummins (0-22) each bowled tidy spells. But Richardson’s figures of 1-48 were hardly the return hoped for in place of Starc; Green and Steve Smith were similarly unable to impose themselves. Victory, then, seemed more than likely to end up feeling decidedly hollow 24 hours on.
Australia’s cause was not helped when the umpires Aleem Dar and Langton Rusere called over after only five balls were bowled in the fourth of the innings.
The officials seemed to miscount based on what was stated on video screens at the ground after the chaotic fourth ball of the over went for three runs including an overthrow. But there was no way to hand the extra delivery back to Australia after the over had been called.
Australia needed to beat Afghanistan by more than 60 runs in order to go ahead of England on net run rate. But they also wanted a buffer above that to cover for the possibility of England beating Sri Lanka by a handy margin on Saturday. A win by more than 80 runs was in order.
That made Starc’s omission somewhat puzzling, having persisted with him thus far in the event. Sent in to bat, the Australians started smartly, though losing Green early, to be 1-47 after five overs.
Warner’s ambitious attempt to switch hit Naveen-ul-Haq ended in him being ignominiously bowled trying a right-hander’s cover drive, and when Smith came and went lbw in the same over, the innings was stalled.
A trio of partnerships followed, the most substantial of which was Maxwell’s with Stoinis, and when they were in harness, a tally greater than 200 looked possible.
Stoinis, however, was deceived by the Adelaide Strikers’ own Rashid, and though Maxwell went on to his highest T20 score in 28 innings, a final tally of 168 was well below expectations. Only 25 runs trickled from the last four overs.
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