Afghanistan vs Australia Match Overview
Afghanistan faced Australia in the 10th match of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Friday, February 28, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat. They were bundled out for 273 runs in 50 overs. Australia could bat for only 12.5 overs before the match was interrupted due to rain.
First Innings: Afghanistan’s Batting Performance
Afghanistan posted a competitive total of 273 runs in 50 overs. Despite a shaky start, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first over, Azmatullah Omarzai emerged as the standout performer with a brilliant 67 off 63 balls, showcasing his power-hitting ability with five sixes for Afghanistan. He was well-supported by Sediqullah Attal, who contributed a solid 85 runs, helping stabilize the innings after a middle-order collapse that saw Nabi, Naib, and Rahmat dismissed cheaply.
Afghanistan’s innings saw a late resurgence, particularly through a cameo from Rashid Khan, but they ultimately lost their way in the middle overs. Australia’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Ben Dwarshuis, who claimed three crucial wickets, including that of Omarzai and Rashid Khan, while Nathan Ellis also made significant contributions with two wickets.
Second Innings: Travis Head’s brilliance before the match ended in a no result
Australia lost the wicket of Matthew Short in the fifth over. Travis Head made 59 runs off 40 deliveries, while Steve Smith made 19 runs off 22 deliveries. The match ended in a no result due to rain and only 12.5 overs were bowled.
Afghanistan vs Australia Performances & Player of the Match
Sediqullah Atal (Afghanistan)
- Sediqullah came as a breath of fresh air for Afghanistan after the team lost both the openers cheaply.
- He scored 85 runs off 95 deliveries and was the highest scorer for the team.
- It was his second half-century in his last five overall outings.
Travis Head (Australia)
- Head fired at the right time for the current World Champions.
- He remained unbeaten on 59 runs off 40 deliveries before the match was interrupted due to rain.
Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan)
- Omarzai continued his dream run in ODIs in this game as well.
- He scored 67 runs off 63 deliveries and hit one four and five sixes in his innings.
Ben Dwarshuis (Australia)
- Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in this match.
- He took three wickets for 47 runs in nine overs.
Spencer Johnson (Australia)
- Johnson opened the bowling for Australia along with Dwarshuis.
- He gave away 49 runs in 10 overs and took the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal.
Afghanistan vs Australia Match Summary
The match ended with no result due to rain. Three out of the last five games in the Champions Trophy 2025 have ended with no result. Afghanistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-final are very slim now. They need England to defeat South Africa by a big margin to make it to the top two.
Australia are into the semi-finals of yet another ICC event. The team didn’t have a lot of key players, but the players have performed really well so far. Some of them don’t have an experience of playing in the semi-final of an ICC event.
