Watch cricket video highlights of Champion’s Trophy 2025 tenth Match 2025. Between Australia and Afghanistan. Venue of the match will be Lahore.
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Reflecting the latest chapter in this emerging rivalry, there were dramatic shifts in momentum as an injured Australian batter at the crease recalled the most thrilling match in the brief history of encounters between these sides. Unfortunately, Lahore’s poor weather interrupted a critical matchup that seemed poised for further developments. Australia appeared to be in a strong position at 109 for 1 after just 12.5 overs in their pursuit of 274 when a downpour struck.
The rain eventually let up, but parts of the playing surface remained saturated, leading to the abandonment of the match. The teams split the points, which was sufficient for Australia to advance to the semi-finals after their second consecutive game was affected by rain. Conversely, Afghanistan’s chances of advancing dwindled, relying solely on an unlikely significant defeat of South Africa by England to keep their tournament hopes alive.
As they pursued a challenging target under the lights, Matthew Short took to the crease limping due to a quadricep injury sustained in the field. Clearly hindered and unable to run, it raised questions about why he was even playing. Perhaps his compromised presence was meant to intimidate Afghanistan and bring back memories of Glenn Maxwell’s remarkable double-century during the 2023 World Cup—the last ODI played between the two teams.
It wasn’t exactly reminiscent of Maxwell, but Short’s aggressive innings contributed to Australia’s fast start as he partnered with Travis Head to score 44 runs within the first five overs. However, they benefitted from Afghanistan’s poor fielding, with Rashid Khan dropping Head on just 6 runs at mid-on after he misplayed a pull shot off quick bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi. Head then hit a six off the following delivery, making things worse for the fielders.
Short, who was on 19, received a lifeline from substitute Nangialai Kharoti at deep square leg while Afghanistan seemed to be recalling memories from Mumbai. Unfortunately for Short, he couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity and was dismissed on the next ball, hitting a catch off Azmatullah Omarzai towards mid-on where Gulbadin Naib made a solid catch, celebrating with a show of muscles. Head quickly took control again, capitalizing on ineffective bowling from Farooqi and reaching his fifty in just 34 balls.
Stand-in captain Steven Smith took charge once Afghanistan introduced their spinners, but Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad failed to pose any real threat. By the time rain interrupted the match in the 13th over, Head was batting on 59 off 40 deliveries, while Smith remained not out on 19. This result capped off what had been a fluctuating match, with Afghanistan’s innings totaling 273 runs from 50 overs, which felt like a rollercoaster ride.
They began strongly as No. 3 batsman Sediqullah Atal dominated the initial phase with 85 runs off 95 balls, and Omarzai finished strongly with 67 runs off 63 balls. However, their score could have been higher if not for a series of reckless dismissals that disrupted their momentum at key moments. Australia’s bowling display was similarly inconsistent. Once again, coping without their main trio of quicks—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood—proved challenging, and they ended up conceding 37 extras, marking Australia’s joint-fifth-highest in ODI history.
With intense rain hitting Lahore just before the match, there were concerns that it could be completely washed out, similar to what happened in the recent game between Australia and South Africa. Fortunately, the weather cleared at the last moment, and Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat first on a pitch that was anticipated to be conducive for batting. However, the ball moved significantly on a surface that had been covered for a considerable time prior to the match.
Left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson kept his place in the squad ahead of seam-bowling allrounder Sean Abbott, despite being sidelined in the final overs against England. Johnson, often compared to Starc, must have made his mentor proud when he delivered a lethal inswinging yorker that dismantled Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s defenses in the first over. Although Johnson is not particularly known for full-length deliveries, as he typically excels at back-of-a-length bowling.
He became erratic after his initial success, and a frustrated Smith struggled to hide his irritation as the extras piled up. Attention turned to Ibrahim Zadran following his record-setting 177 in the Champions Trophy against England. He and Atal were forced into a cautious approach early on as the ball seemed to zip past the bat multiple times, but they persevered, forming a 67-run partnership that weathered the new-ball challenge.
Despite their efforts, Zadran was unable to build on his innings and was dismissed rather easily for 22 when he slapped a short and wide delivery from legspinner Adam Zampa directly to backward point. Maxwell provided excellent support to Zampa, claiming the wicket of Rahmat Shah after a brilliant catch by Josh Inglis behind the stumps, leaving Afghanistan in a tough spot at 91 for 3. Atal remained unfazed by the situation and opted to take on the spinners, effectively targeting deep midwicket as he launched a six to achieve his half-century in impressive fashion off 64 deliveries.
Atal continued his aggressive approach and successfully sent Zampa out of the attack. He benefited from some good fortune on 74 when a significant lbw appeal from seamer Nathan Ellis was rejected. Australia chose not to review, thinking the ball had pitched outside leg stump, but replays later confirmed otherwise. Australia avoided conceding runs after Smith made another effective bowling change by bringing back Johnson, who ended Atal’s quest for a second ODI century when he hit a catch to cover.
With Atal’s fluid innings cut short, Afghanistan experienced a slump in the middle overs, largely due to Shahidi, who struggled to score, managing just 20 off 48 balls before misplaying a sweep shot off Zampa to square leg. His strike rate of 40.81 is the third lowest for an Afghan batsman in ODIs (minimum 40 balls faced) in this decade. In this tournament, Australia has relied on their batting depth, but they’ve also seen their part-time spinners perform well.
Against England, it was Marnus Labuschagne’s leg spin, while Short excelled here, conceding only 21 runs in seven extremely effective overs. Afghanistan faltered and saw Nabi fall victim to a humorous run-out, slipping to 199 for 7 and appearing to be far from reaching a competitive total. However, Omarzai took charge, monopolizing the strike with his powerful hitting, sending five massive shots over the boundary, including three against Ellis, who is usually very effective at the death.
An unusual incident occurred late in the innings that nearly escalated when Noor strayed from his crease, mistakenly believing the over was completed, allowing Inglis to remove the bails after receiving a throw from the deep. Inglis made a run-out appeal, but Smith quickly defused a potentially controversial situation by advising the umpires not to entertain the appeal. This moment turned out to be inconsequential, foreshadowing what was to come later that night.
