In the 2023 World Cup match in Delhi, Afghanistan achieved a historic milestone by earning their inaugural victory against England in any form of cricket. Rashid Khan, the prominent spinner, claimed the last wicket of Mark Wood, sealing a remarkable 69-run win over the defending champions.
This significant event took place during the 41st over of the innings when Rashid Khan bowled his last over. The young spinner, who had already taken two wickets, concluded the match by bowling out Mark Wood, who attempted a forceful shot and lost his wicket.
Afghanistan celebrated in full delight as they executed a remarkable surprise victory against England.
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Jos Buttler’s team faced early trouble as they lost Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root within the first 10 overs while chasing 285. The efforts of Buttler, Livingstone, and Malan couldn’t yield significant contributions, placing a heavy burden on Harry Brook.
Brook emerged as the top scorer with 66 runs, but he faced a daunting task on a challenging pitch against the opposition’s trio of spin bowlers – Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi.
Afghanistan’s strong start with the bat set up their winning total
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan’s openers, were the ones who initiated their team’s momentum. They put together a substantial partnership of 114 runs for the first wicket, but England managed to regain control during the middle overs.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, Ikram Alikhil, played a vital role with his innings of 58 runs from 66 balls, and the partnership of 44 runs he shared with Mujeeb was equally important. Mujeeb, who took three wickets during his 10 overs, also made a quick 28 runs in just 16 deliveries, including three fours and a six.
Rashid Khan added a brisk 23 runs, but the highest scorer was Gurbaz with his 80 runs. England will likely face significant pressure as they prepare to play against South Africa on October 21 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
On the other hand, Afghanistan will feel a great sense of relief after not securing any wins in the 2019 World Cup in England. This victory marks their first World Cup win since defeating Scotland in the 2015 edition.
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