[Watch] Bizarre scenes as Australia's Mitchell Starc walks off without reviewing after sensational take from Ikram in AFG vs AUS 2023 World Cup match
Things went from bad to worse for Australia as Mitchell Starc bizarrely didn't review a caught-behind decision during their 2023 World Cup game against Afghanistan in Mumbai on Tuesday, November 7.
From around the wicket, Rashid Khan bowled a googly that squared up Starc. After an initial fumble, wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil recovered brilliant to complete a one-handed stunner. While Starc seemed a bit confused with the on-field call of out, for some reason he did not review the decision and walked back to the shed.
Replays showed that the ball had missed the outside edge and had actually clipped the off-stump before Ikram's effort. Here's the video of the dismissal:
Australia dependent on Glenn Maxwell's heroics
The ball was expected to move a bit under the lights given the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium. However, Australia wouldn't have envisaged the kind of horrible start they were off to in the chase.
Naveen-ul-Haq was right on the money from the get-go as he got Travis Head caught behind and then trapped a dangerous-looking Mitchell Marsh in front. Azmatullah Omarzai notched up twin strikes of David Warner and Josh Inglis from the other end to put the Aussies in the doldrums.
The run-out of Marnus Labuschagne and two strikes from Rashid Khan has made the situation near-perfect for Afghanistan. The only blip that they have had so far has been their fielding as Glenn Maxwell was given a life by Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Maxwell has been in sensational form of late and the Aussies would want him to play his natural game and take them out of a precarious situation. Afghanistan, despite being on top, need to be wary about just how easily Maxwell can turn the game on its head. They need to ensure they keep chipping away with wickets and close the game.