Cricket World Cup 2023: Afghanistan post 291-5 against Australia

Opener Ibrahim Zadran scored a brilliant century as Afghanistan posted 291-5 against Australia in a crucial World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Earlierm Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat.

Five-times champions Australia made a slow start to the 50-overs showpiece event with defeats in their opening two games but a win over their South Asian rivals will cement their spot in the semifinals.

Three consecutive victories have also put the Afghans in contention for a spot in the knockout stages and victories in their remaining two fixtures would guarantee them a semifinal place.

All-rounders Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell returned to the Australia side after missing the win over England. Steve Smith, who complained of suffering from a bout of vertigo before the match, was ruled out and Cameron Green was dropped.

Afghanistan also made one change to their side from the win over the Netherlands with seamer Naveen-ul-Haq replacing Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Teams:

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

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