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Australia and Afghanistan will lock horns in match no. 39 of the ongoing ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today.
The contest is expected to be a nail-biting thriller as both teams need to win this one to keep their qualification hopes alive for the semifinals.
Australia have won the Cricket World Cup five time, but this time it will not be easy for them to beat Afghanistan as the latest have beaten Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England in the ongoing mega event and fully hope to thump the kangaroos.
Afghanistan have produced a stellar campaign so far as they are coming into this contest with wins against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands standing sixth in the points table.
On the other hand, after a shaky start to the tournament, Pat Cummins-led side have got themselves back together and have won five games in a row to stand behind table toppers India and South Africa. A win for them will cement their spot in the semifinals hopefully.
Afghanistan:
Points: 8
Net run rate: -0.330
Remaining fixtures: Australia (November 7), South Africa (November 10)
Of the three teams with eight points apiece, Afghanistan have the biggest advantage as they are the only team with two matches in hand.
Two wins in these two matches will see them sliding into the semifinals with ease.
However, given the reputation and form of their opponents, Afghanistan face an uphill task and risk missing out on the semifinals with a loss against either.
Should Hashmatullah Shahdi’s crowd favorites win one match and finish on 10 points, they can qualify for the semifinals if Sri Lanka beats New Zealand and England beats Pakistan.
In case New Zealand and Pakistan win their respective matches, Afghanistan would be knocked out despite being level on points due to their much poorer net run rate.
Australia:
Points: 10
Net run rate: 0.924
Remaining fixtures: Afghanistan (November 7), Bangladesh (November 11)
The five-time champions need to win one of their two remaining matches to secure their spot for a record-extending eighth Cricket World Cup semifinal. They are currently placed third with 10 points but could go up or down come the end of the group stage.
If Australia win both matches with big margins, they could leap past South Africa on net run rate or points if the Proteas lose their last match to Afghanistan.
Should they end up losing both fixtures, they will still have a very good chance of qualifying given their superior net run rate among the mid-table teams.
