The ICC World Cup 2023 is set to witness the 39th game between Australia and Afghanistan on Tuesday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The match will begin at 2:00 PM IST. You can catch the televised broadcast of the game on Star Sports network and live streaming will be available on the Disney Hotstar app and website.
Australia vs Afghanistan: Head-to-Head record
Australia, the five-time World Cup title holders, have been nothing short of ruthless in the two former ODI World Cup meetings. They’ve been on a five-game winning streak. While Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell are poised to rejoin the Australian squad, Steven Smith’s fitness remains uncertain.
On the other hand, Afghanistan’s World Cup performance has been spectacular. They’ve won four out of seven matches and have formerly taken down England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. They are vying for their first-ever semi-final spot. Afghanistan’s spin quintet of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmad is able to cause Australia’s fur line-up no end of problems.
Pitch and Weather Report
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is known for its high-scoring matches. The average 1st and 2nd innings totals in ODIs at this venue are 247 and 196, respectively. The stadium has held 32 ODIs so far. According to weather.com, the temperature in Mumbai is currently 35 degrees Celsius and is expected to be 29 degrees Celsius in the evening and 27 degrees Celsius at night. Humidity is expected to reach 41% and the wind is expected to run at 16 km/h.
Squads
Australia Squad: Travis Head, David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Alex Carey
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil(w), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Najibullah Zadran, Naveen-ul-Haq, Abdul Rahman, Riaz Hassan
Both teams are vying for a spot in the semi-finals. This match holds special significance for Afghanistan due to Cricket Australia’s previous decision to cancel a Test and a three-match ODI series between the two nations for political reasons. This World Cup has been a platform for Afghanistan to assert its standing in global cricket.