• By Manik Sharma
  • Sun, 15 Oct 2023 11:27 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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What dreams are made of? Before the World Cup, no one expected much from a team that does not even have a home ground at their home country to play at. Afghanistan defied all the odds at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi when they defeated the defending champions England convincingly by 69 runs.

Rashid Khan, expressing his joy, said, "Cricket is the sole source of happiness for the Afghan people right now. We've been through a lot."

England won the toss and chose to field first on a pitch known for high-scoring matches. Afghanistan batters put up a competitive total of 285 runs, setting the stage for a challenging chase for England.

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Adil Rashid managed to create a glimmer of hope for England in the bowling department by taking important wickets, including Rahmat Shah and Rashid Khan. Rahmanullah Gurbaz in an unfortunate miscommunication with the skipper Shahidi, got out for 80 runs.

Afghanistan's middle-order, with Ikram Alikhil at the forefront, ensured that they posted a competitive total. By the time the innings concluded, Afghanistan had reached a total of 284, marking their second-highest score in Cricket World Cup history.

The defending champions were expected to perform well with the ball, but Afghanistan's spin trio, led by Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, had different plans.

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Fazalhaq Farooqi provided early breakthrough by dismissing Jonny Bairstow, followed by Mujeeb bagging Joe Root's wicket, leaving England reeling at 33/2. The English batsmen struggled to cope with Afghanistan's spinners. The early pressure proved to be a turning point in the match.

As England's innings progressed, Harry Brook emerged as their main hope, scoring a crucial fifty. However, he lacked support from his teammates, and the fall of Liam Livingstone's wicket left England in a precarious position at 117/5. Afghanistan's spinners, backed by a solid team effort, maintained relentless pressure on England.

This victory holds immense significance for Afghanistan cricket. It is only their second-ever win in the Cricket World Cup, a remarkable achievement for a team often considered an underdog against the world's top cricketing nations.