The ghosts of the Wankhede. Some have spoken about it. Others have stayed away from it but it’s undeniable that every member of this Afghanistan team who was in Mumbai on November 6, 2023, will have some memories of what transpired that will never leave them. There they were poised potentially to pull off the biggest win as a national team. Even maybe on the cusp of doing so. Before Glenn Maxwell did what he did by producing arguably the greatest men’s ODI World Cup knock ever.
Though not quite as dramatic, the only T20I match between the two sides also saw a spirited performance from Rashid Khan and his team, at his home-ground of the Adelaide Oval. And there were moments that night on November 4, 2022, where the Afghans pushed the home team enough to have them under pressure for most parts of the match. That was a must-win game for Australia to get into the semi-finals, much like this one in St Vincent will be for Afghanistan if they have any hopes of staying alive in the competition. A loss here will in all likelihood be the end of another World Cup campaign, which promised a lot, especially after the way they completely blanked New Zealand earlier in the tournament.
A win, however, will not only keep them alive but also potentially help theme exorcise some of the ghosts from the Wankhede, even if they will never leave them completely.
The two playing Xis will more or less be the same too, even if Maxwell will be striding out to bat a lot earlier in the Australian innings than he did on that unforgettable evening. Getting the better of their nemesis could well be one of the sub-plots to this highly-anticipated contest.
It would be unfair to say that the Australians have been a bit spooked with what they’ve seen of conditions in St Vincent so far on the TV. But there is concern for sure about how much the pitch will favour the spinners, thereby bringing the highly-skilled Afghan spin attack into the game a lot more. It might dictate how the Aussies themselves go about their approach to this Super 8s encounter, knowing full well that they have been a juggernaut so far in this World Cup and their latest win will get them a spot in the semi-finals, and within two more wins of completing that treble.
When: Australia vs Afghanistan, June 22, 08.30 PM Local, 06.00 am IST (June 23) 10.30 am (June 23) AEST
Where: Arnos Vale Stadium, Arnos Vale, Saint Vincent
What to expect: There’s something very special about St Vincent. Despite being so close to slightly more major eastern Caribbean islands like St Lucia and Barbados, it’s got a more natural and untouched feel to it. Even if it has got a lot of exposure over the years thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean. Just like the pitch here has over the last week or so, ever since the T20 World Cup came to St Vincent. There’s been less talk about the incredible setting of the Arnos Vale Stadium, which is right next to the eastern Caribbean Sea, but more about the 22 yards in the middle, with spin degrees having been the buzz word about the matches played here already. The weather will be cloudy and the outfield will be fast though, and it could potentially be the most intriguing match of the Super 8s so far.
Head to head: The team have faced off only once in T20Is previously, at the Adelaide Oval in the T20 WC 2022, Australia winning a last-over thriller by 4 runs.
Team Watch:
Australia:Ashton Agar was in some ways primed to be ready to come into the playing XI for this particular match when Australia picked him for their last Group 1 game against Scotland in St Lucia. Though it was a credible performance by the returning left-arm spinner, there is still some debate over whether the former champions actually pull the trigger or they stick with their go-to Plan A of having their future hall-of-fame pace trio do what they do best, especially in the wake of Pat Cummins coming off his first international hat-trick.
Tactics and match-ups: Left-arm pace has been a good option against most of Afghanistan’s batters with the likes of Ibrahim Zadran (8) and Azmatullah Omarzai (9) being dismissed quite frequently against this type of bowling. It ought to keep Mitchell Starc in the equation right through.
Probable XI:Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins/Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan:Though they might have lost their way and a lot of their momentum in their previous two matches, there’s still a lot to be wary of in this Afghanistan playing XI, which should retain the big-hitting Hazratullah Zazai. If the pitch does play the way it’s expected to, then the seasoned bowling attack that Afghanistan have, led by Rashid himself, will be quite the handful and probably give them the best chance to finally get over the hoodoo against Australia in World Cups.
Tactics and match-ups: The in-form Marcus Stoinis could be up for a challenge in the middle overs against Rashid Khan who has dismissed him four times in T20s so far. This one-on-one battle could dictate how Australia fare in the middle overs with Rashid also having a similarly good match-up against Glenn Maxwell getting him out six times although the batter has a S/R over 160 against him.
Probable XI:Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
