New Delhi, Oct 16: After a lot of one-sided matches, the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup was craving an unexpected win and Afghanistan did just that with a 69-run victory on Sunday in Arun Jaitley Stadium.
With ample support for them in the crowd of 26,440, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ikram Alikhil scored half-centuries to take Afghanistan to 284 in 49.5 overs. In defence, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled brilliantly took three wickets each, and bowled out England for 215 runs in 40.5 overs.
With this, Afghanistan ended their 14-match losing streak in the World Cup with the biggest-ever win in their ODI history, sending the tournament into shock as well as the cricket world. Afghanistan is now sixth in the points table, just behind England, while Australia is now at the bottom of the ten-team table.
![Afghanistan team (pic credit Afghanistan cricket board Insta)](https://www.uitvconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/391302718_736178851661958_7060072502364892910_n.jpg)
Chasing 285, England suffered an early blow when Jonny Bairstow was out LBW to the first ball of Fazalhaq Faruqui, which he immediately reviewed. Replays showed the ball hitting leg-stump in the umpire’s call, meaning England retained the review but lost Bairstow.
Although Dawid Malan and Joe Root hit a few boundaries, Faruqi continued to bowl from a probing line and length – as he edged Malan, hit him on the pads (and burnt a review), then beat him. Afghanistan increased the pressure on England when Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Root with a googly that remained low.
Malan and Harry Brook tried to stabilize the chase with strike-rotation and a few boundaries, but Mohammad Nabi dismissed the former by deceiving him with an outside off-stump delivery.
![Rashid khan (pic credit Afghanistan cricket board Insta)](https://www.uitvconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/391355739_2038498466512059_7027140841265998147_n.jpg)
Naveen-ul-Haq produced a peach of a fuller ball coming in from wide outside off-stump to castle Jos Buttler through the gate. Rashid Khan entered the wicket-takers list by dismissing Liam Livingstone LBW with a straight ball. Livingstone tried to turn around but in vain.
England’s hopes remained high with Brook being present at the crease and hitting boundaries whenever the ball was bowled wide or overpitched to complete his half-century in 35 balls. But with the boundaries drying up, Nabi used dip, turn, and bounce to edge Sam Curran and edge him to slip.
Chris Woakes survived an LBW appeal against Mujeeb, but the spinner eventually got his man when he delivered a googly that went past the inside edge and crashed into the off-stump. Mujeeb delivered the killer blow to Ikram Alikhil by driving past a fast carrom ball to Brook Nicks. Rashid had Adil Rashid caught in the slips and, despite Reece Topley’s inevitable delay, the leg spinner dismissed Mark Wood to send the crowd cheering.
![mujeeb ur and Rashid (pic credit Afghanistan cricket board Insta)](https://www.uitvconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/391400764_1055132425643220_7051084533839019692_n.jpg)