3 mistakes Australia made in their incredible 2023 World Cup win over Afghanistan
Australia officially secured their spot in the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup as a Glenn Maxwell masterclass fired them to a three-wicket win over Afghanistan on Tuesday, November 7.
Maxwell blasted an unbeaten double century in a dominant one-man effort to somehow snatch a miraculous victory for the Aussies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He had support from captain Pat Cummins, who blocked out everything at the other end and turned strike over to the dynamic all-rounder.
It was almost solely due to Maxwell's positively unreal knock that Australia managed to get over the line in Mumbai. It was far from a complete performance from the five-time champions, who seemed down and out of the contest at various points.
Here are three mistakes Australia made in their World Cup 2023 win over Afghanistan.
#3 The Aussie batters' modes of dismissal were bizarre
Australia found themselves at 91/7 when Maxwell and Cummins joined forces at the crease. While Afghanistan bowled superbly until that point, the Aussie batters did themselves no favors by falling victim to a series of dismissals that were issues of application and not skill.
David Warner attempted to hoick one across the line, almost on his knees, when Azmatullah Omarzai was in the middle of a deadly spell. Josh Inglis wafted at one off his very first ball from the Afghan swing bowler, only to nick off.
Marnus Labuschagne, meanwhile, was run out when his side were in a terrible spot of bother. The throw from fielder Rahmat Shah was extremely slow, and Labuschagne was even slower off the blocks to be caught short of his ground.
Conditions weren't easy out in the middle, but Australia certainly shouldn't have lost so many wickets cheaply.
#2 Australia sent in Josh Inglis ahead of Marcus Stoinis
Australia lost their first three wickets with 49 on the board, and their middle order, which has been a bit undercooked in the 2023 World Cup, needed to step up. While only one man did step up eventually, the team management didn't make it easy for both Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis to come good.
The former was sent in at No. 5 with the ball swinging miles in the ninth over, leaving Stoinis to face up against Afghanistan's four-pronged spin quartet. Inglis wafted at one outside off to be caught at slip, while Stoinis tried a reverse-sweep off Rashid and lasted just seven balls.
The keeper-batter, who is known to be a good player of spin, shouldn't have been exposed to the new ball and should've been retained for the middle overs. Stoinis, who can combat pace and swing, should've been promoted.
#1 Pat Cummins' bowling changes at the death were off the mark
Afghanistan racked up 75 runs in the last six overs of their innings, with all of Australia's bowlers proving expensive. That was largely because they didn't have any set death-bowling plans, apart from Mitchell Starc's terrible form with the ball in the 2023 World Cup.
Hazlewood bowled two excellent overs in the 44th and 46th, including a wicket and just 13 runs. However, despite him having one over left in his quota, Cummins didn't bowl his fellow fast bowler out and instead threw the ball to Starc in the 48th and 50th, two overs that were expensive.
Cummins himself bowled the 49th over, which went for 14. The Aussie skipper is easily the least reliable at the death among the Australian pace trio.
There was also a curious decision to bring Maxwell into the attack in the 47th over, with two right-handers, including the dangerous Rashid Khan, at the crease. The over went for 16.