Defending champions England suffered a major upset at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, losing to Afghanistan by 18 runs. The England top-order crumbled under pressure, with only Dawid Malan (140) making a significant contribution.
England were the favorites to win the match, but Afghanistan produced a stunning performance to secure their first-ever victory over the reigning World Cup champions. The Afghan bowlers bowled with great discipline to restrict England to 260 all out, despite Malan’s heroics.
England’s top-order collapse:
England’s top-order batting has been a concern throughout the tournament, and that trend continued against Afghanistan. Jason Roy (0), Phil Salt (1), and Joe Root (15) were all dismissed early, leaving England struggling at 3/37.
Ben Stokes (26) and Malan tried to rebuild the innings, but Stokes was also dismissed cheaply. Malan then carried the England innings on his own, hitting 16 fours and five sixes in a brilliant century.
However, Malan’s dismissal in the 45th over triggered a collapse, with England losing their last six wickets for just 23 runs. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3/45.
Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling performance:
The Afghan bowlers bowled with great discipline to keep the England batsmen under pressure. Rashid Khan was the star of the show, but he was well supported by Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/40) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (1/32).
The Afghan bowlers also fielded brilliantly, taking some excellent catches to put further pressure on the England batsmen.
Afghanistan’s batting performance:
Afghanistan’s batting performance was also impressive, with the team chasing down the target of 261 with relative ease. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (51) put on a 100-run opening partnership to set the platform for the chase.
Najibullah Zadran then finished the job with an unbeaten 48, as Afghanistan reached the target with 19 balls to spare.
Conclusion:
Afghanistan’s victory over England was a stunning upset, and it will be remembered as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. The Afghan team played superbly throughout the match, and they deserved their victory.
England, on the other hand, will need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to fix their top-order batting problems. If they don’t, they will be in danger of exiting the tournament early.
Additional thoughts:
England’s top-order batting collapse has been a major concern for the team throughout the tournament. They have lost early wickets in all of their matches so far, and it has put them under a lot of pressure.
The England batsmen need to find a way to start their innings better, and they need to be more patient and disciplined at the crease. If they don’t, they will continue to struggle against the world’s best bowling attacks.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, have been in excellent form throughout the tournament. They have beaten some top teams, and they are now looking like one of the favorites to win the World Cup.
The Afghan bowlers have been particularly impressive, and they have shown that they can bowl out the best batsmen in the world. The Afghan batsmen have also been in good form, and they have shown that they can chase down any target.
Afghanistan’s victory over England is a testament to their hard work and dedication. They have come a long way since their first World Cup appearance in 2015, and they are now one of the most feared teams in world cricket.