Afghanistan vs Australia Highlights, T20 World Cup 2024: Afghanistan stun Australia for a historic win

Naib registered career best figures of 4 for 20, including the wicket of dangerous Maxwell (59 off 41 balls), which proved the key in Afghanistan's defence of their 148 for 6, which became possible because of a 118-run opening partnership between Gurbaz (60 off 49 balls) and Zadran (51 off 48) after Australia surprisingly opted to bowl on a track that is not known for successful chases. In all four matches at this venue in this T20 World Cup, the team batting first has won. Not to forget, Naveen-ul-Haq's 3/20 made the early inroads into the Australia batting line-up, which built pressure on the former champions.

Gulbadin Naib takes the catch to dismiss Zampa (9) as Omarzai takes the last wicket, and Afghanistan have won their first ever match against Australia across formats, which also keeps them alive in this tournament. A 21-run win in the end after Australia were bowled out for 127 in 19.2 overs.

You can't keep Naib out of the game today! Agar (2) plays a cover-drive against Naveen and Naib dives to his left to pull off a stunner. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 113 for 9.

Bowling his last over, Naib foxes Pat Cummins (3) with a slower one. And Naib finishes his spell with career-best T20I figures of 4 for 20. Australia, staring down the barrel now, slip to 113 for 8 in 17 overs.

What a masterstroke by the Afghan skipper to bring himself back! Gets the wicket of Wade (5), who tries to sweep but gets a glove to it. The ball lobs up and is lapped up brilliantly by a diving Janat at short fine-leg. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 111 for 7 in 16 overs, need 38 runs more in 24 balls.

The dangerous Maxwell (59 off 41 balls) is walking back, caught brilliantly by Noor at short third-man. Naib gets his third wicket. End of the 15th over. Australia 108 for 6, need 41 runs more in 30 balls.

The Australian big-hitter ends Farooqi's over with a SIX hit straight back, and it brings up Maxwell's half-century in 35 balls. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 94 for 5 in 13 overs.

Tim David (2) struck in front and given out LBW as Farooqi continues to get assistance from the track. The Australia asks for a review, but doesn't help. Matthew Wade new man in. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 85 for 5 in 12.2 overs.

Maxwell (43*) takes on Rashid Khan and smacks him between mid-wicket and long-on for a big six. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 84 for 4 in 12 overs.

Some extra bounce for the bowler and Stoinis (11) gets done in. The resultant top edge is taken smartly by wicketkeeper Gurbaz. Maxwell batting on 36. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 76 for 4 in 11 overs.

Maxwell (31*) and Stoinis (11*) have settled in as their partnership heads towards the fifty mark. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 70 for 3 at the halfway mark of 10 overs in their run-chase of Afghanistan's 148 for 6.

The Afghanistan skipper's spell could hold the key to this game, as Maxwell looks settled now, especially after the SIX he hit in the last over bowled by Kharote. Rashid, meanwhile, begins with a four-run over. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 50 for 3 in 8 overs.

Warner (3) tries to hit a slog sweep against Nabi but gets a top edge as the ball bounces a little more and the catch is taken easily by Noor at short fine-leg. And the veteran off-spinner ends the over with just one run off the next five deliveries. End of Powerplay. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 33 for 3 in 6 overs.

Not the start that the right-arm pacer would have wanted. Two boundaries in the over -- FOUR legbyes off a delivery that was going down the leg-side and then a flick by Maxwell (11*) over mid-wicket for another FOUR. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 32 for 2 in 5 overs.

Naveen takes pace off the delivery and Marsh's (12) drive has no timing on it, straight up in the air and easily caught by the experienced Nabi. Australia in trouble early. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 16 for 2 in 2.3 overs.

The tournament's top wicket-taker starts by conceding 11 runs in his first over, which saw a couple of FOURS - one of those credited to leg-byes and the other a crunchy straight drive past mid-off by Marsh. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 12 for 1 in 2 overs.

Naveen-ul-Haq hits the stumps of Travis Head (0) with an outswinger, and the Afghans could not have begun in a better way, striking off the third ball of Australian innings.And he ends the over beating the bat of Warner, who charged out of his crease. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Australia 1 for 1 after the first over.

This venue is yet to see a team successfully chasing a target in three matches so far in this T20 World Cup.

Nabi (10* off 4 balls) finishes it with a FOUR to take Afghanistan to 148 for 6 in 20 overs.

He struck off the last ball of his last over, and now strikes off the first two balls of the final over of the innings to remove Janat (13) and Naib (0), and gets back to back hat-tricks, that too in a World Cup. And almost gets a fourth one but Warner drops Kharote (1*) at deep backward point. Cummins took a hat-trick in the last match as well against Bangladesh.

A couple of twos, a top-edged SIX off Janat's bat, a single and a FOUR from Nabi to end Hazlewood's over. Afghanistan need as many as they can in this final flourish. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 141 for 4 in 19 overs.

Rashid Khan (2) tries to go big but could hit it only as far as Tim David at long-on, who pouches it safely to help Cummins take his first wicket of the night. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 126 for 4 in 18 overs.

Zampa ends his spell (2/28) with two wickets in his final over. First he sent Omarzai (2) back with a slider that skid on and pegged the stumps back, and then some extra bounce did Zadran (51) in, caught by Marsh. Afghanistan 122 for 2 in 17 overs.

Finally a wicket for Australia! Gurbaz (60 off 49 balls) tries to hit Stoinis for second six of the over, and gets a send-off from the bowler as the batsman's heave across the line goes up in the air and the catch is taken by Warner. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 119 for 1 in 16 overs.

Zadran joins his opening partner Gurbaz and brings up his half-century in 46 balls.

Gurbaz brings up his 11th T20I half-century off 44 balls, and this could turn out to be the most important one as Afghanistan must win this match to stay alive in the tournament. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 109 for 0 in 15 overs.

Gurabaz (49*) and Ibrahim (47*) raise century stand n 13.2 overs, as the latter slashes Hazlewood behind square for a FOUR. It is their third century partnership together at the top of the order in this World Cup, which is the most in a single T20 World Cup edition. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 104 for 0 ni 14 overs.

And Gurbaz (48*) welcomes the legspinner back with a SIX dead straight over his head. A review for an LBW against Gurbaz follows, but the UltraEdge shows Gurbaz got a faint nick. And the next ball he comes out of his crease, but misses, and wicketkeeper Wade misses too, a stumping chance gone abegging. That follows a misfield at the boundary ropes for FOUR. Australia under pressure. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 96 for 0 in 13 overs.

AP Photo

AP Photo

At 79 for 0 in 11.2 overs, Australia have now conceded the most runs for an opening partnership in T20 cricket. Gurbaz (41*) and Zadran (32*) are doing it brilliantly, especially with their running between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Afghanistan 64 for 0 in 10 overs as spinners Zampa and Maxwell try to choke Afghanistan openers Gurbaz (36*) and Zadran (22*). But this is pretty good effort to not have lost any wickets on a track that is not at all easy to bat on.

After a tough start, Gurbaz (26*) and Zadran (19*) have played some entertaining cricket in the last 3-4 overs, and this is now a brilliant start on a tough track for Afghanistan, who have raised their fifty in 7.3 overs.

Legspinner Zampa almost pulls off a 'Superman catch' at backward point fence as Zadran's (16*) airborne cut almost came to nothing, but it's a FOUR in the end after the airbrone Zampa got a hand to it. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 40 for 0 in 6 overs.

Cummins follows Zadran with one that cut in and rammed into his thigh guard. And the batsman is in some discomfort, calls for the physio right away.

Gurbaz (17*) dances down the track again, this time against Hazlewood, to hit his second SIX of the match -- over the long-on-fence. Zadran (7*) then gets one on his legs and helps himself with a glance for FOUR. AFG vs AUS Live: Afghanistan 29 for 0 in 5 overs.

It's definitely not a 170-180 wicket, maybe not even 150. So Gurbaz and Zadran will do well to recognize that quickly and pick the lose deliveries, while respecting the good ones. At the moment, the openers are finding it difficult to time the ball, as Pat Cummins repeatedly goes past the right-hander Gurbaz (10*). But the Afghan opener sizes it up after five dot balls to hit the first SIX of the match, straight down the ground. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 17 for 0 in 4 overs.

The first 12 deliveries suggest batting is not going to be easy on this wicket as Hazlewood too extracts some seam movement, bowling five dot balls after inside-edged FOUR off the first ball that beat Gurbaz (4*). AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 9 for 0 in 2 overs.

There was turn and bounce on offer for Agar, as one delivery beat both Gurbaz and wicketkeeper Wade to go the third-man fence for FOUR byes. AFG vs AUS Live Score: Afghanistan 5 for 0 in 1 over.

Ashton Agar has the new ball in his hands to bowl the first over, while Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are ready to face, with the former taking first strike.

The two teams are out in the middle, and it's the Australian National Anthem to be sung first.

David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Nangeyalia Kharote, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

"To be honest, we wanted to bat first. The record of this wicket suggests it becomes harder while chasing; we got what we wanted. What is done is done, can't think about the past. It's about the mindset we go in with today, the more you enjoy the better you perform. We've spoken about our execution and getting it right. It's about playing our cricket. Everyone likes to play against big teams, it's when you get better. Good occassion for us, we get better day by day facing these big teams. We have two changes, Kharote and Janat in for Najibullah Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai."

"We'll try and have a read on conditions and have a good night. We know Afghanistan are a good side. We just need to trust our process and enjoy it. Ashton Agar comes in for Mitchell Starc, purely conditions based."

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh wins the toss and decided to bowl first.