Explained! Why Afghanistan Will Start As Favourites Against Australia In ICC Champions Trophy Match (Source: AP)
Afghanistan will take on Australia in a must-win game of the ICC Champions Trophy. Afghanistan pulled off a magnificent win over England in the previous game and they now set sight on a semifinal berth. They'll, however, have to get past Australia to turn the dream into reality. Afghanistan have never beaten Australia in the four ODIs they have played, but they almost pulled off a magnificent win during the ODI World Cup 2023 before Glenn Maxwell played arguably the greatest ODI innings and snatched a win for the Australia from the jaws of defeat.
Why Afghanistan Will Be Favourites Against Australia?
Afghanistan have only played against Australia in ICC events which meant they were always up against the strongest team. This is not the case with Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy as the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Stoinis, and Mitchell Marsh are missing the squad. The bowling unit is relatively inexperienced with Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshius, and Spencer Johnson along with Adam Zampa at Australia's disposal. The pitches are flat and run scoring seems easier. Afghanistan posted 325 against England and they are very capable of putting another big score against Australia which will give them a good chance of winning.
Secondly, the Australians are very good against the pacers but at times they have been found wanting against the spinners. Afghanistan spinners are no ordinary bowlers and boast of strong skill sets. They have troubled the best batters in the world and if given a big score to defend, they can really dictate terms.
The head-to-head record and team reputation definitely label Australia as favourites, but given the quality in teams and the conditions, Afghanistan hold a slight edge. The Afghans defeated Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 and it won't be a surprise if they knock them out in another ICC event.
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