Icc odi worldcup 2023 : "Afghanistan's World Cup Dreams Dashed in Chennai"

Welcome to my blog , in this article i explain of  world cup 2023 match summary between NZ vs AFG. New zealand 's comprehensive win over Afghanitan take black caps to the top of the points table.

In a stunning turn of events, Afghanistan's promising World Cup campaign took a nosedive as they succumbed to a crushing 149-run defeat against New Zealand in Chennai on October 18. After their remarkable performance against England, their inability to cope with elementary mistakes became painfully evident.

Kiwi's clinical win over Afghan in wc match

Chasing a competitive target of 289, Afghanistan's batsman were left struggling as the new ball swung menacingly under the floodlights. The Kiwi spinners, led by the crafty Mitchell Santner , further compounded Afghanistan's woes. Lockie Ferguson also played a pivotal role, unleashing a fiery spell of pace and bounce and both take 3 important wickets individually.

The early exchanges promised some hope for Afghanistan as Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran played impressive strokes. However, the moment Matt Henry and Trent Boult found their rhythm, it was game over for the opening duo. Henry produced a cracking delivery to dismiss Gurbaz, and Zadran fell victim to an early leading edge, comfortably caught at cover. With Afghanistan heavily relying on their top order, these quick wickets severely deflated their innings. Ferguson then delivered a decisive blow with his raw pace and bounce.

Rahmat Shah tried to stabilize the ship alongside skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, but both failed to exert pressure on New Zealand's relentless bowlers, who maintained probing lines and lengths. As the required run rate mounted, Afghanistan's hopes of staging a comeback faded, barring a miraculous turn of events. Azmatullah Omarzai and Ikram Alikhil injected some urgency into the innings, but the target had ballooned to insurmountable proportions by the time they arrived at the crease. New Zealand's bowlers systematically dismantled Afghanistan's middle and lower order, further boosting their already healthy net run rate.

This isn't the first time Afghanistan has suffered a heavy defeat, but their persistent lack of clarity in run chases has become a concerning trend. Frequently, they have shown minimal intent at the start of their innings, placing undue pressure on the lower and middle order. The decision to field after winning the toss raised eyebrows, especially considering the dew factor, but by the time it came into play, the game was already decided.

Another emerging trend in this World Cup has been the assistance fast bowlers receive under lights, with or without dew. Afghanistan experienced this during their match against England in Delhi. However, these errors in judgment are somewhat forgivable when compared to Afghanistan's performance in the field earlier in the day.

Afghanistan's fielding display was riddled with dropped catches, starting early in the afternoon when Will Young received a lifeline. Young went on to score a valuable fifty, and although Rachin Ravindra's dropped catch wasn't as costly, it underlined Afghanistan's sloppy fielding. New Zealand capitalized on these gifts, cruising to 109/1 before Omarzai's intervention. He dismissed Young and Ravindra in the same over, briefly reviving Afghanistan's hopes. Rashid Khan then takes a important wicket of very dangerous Daryl Mitchell in the next over, reducing New Zealand to 110/4.

Nevertheless, New Zealand's skipper, Tom Latham, and Glenn Phillips, stitched together a pivotal 144-run partnership that got their innings back on track. Their relentless running between the wickets often flustered the Afghanistan fielders, resulting in misfields and extra runs. Considering the tricky pitch, both batsmen patiently bided their time until the slog overs, when they launched an assault on the bowlers. While Phillips found fluency from the outset, Latham picked up steam toward the end. Crucially, both batsmen weathered dropped catches by Afghanistan.

The abundance of missed opportunities severely impacted the final score, leaving Rashid Khan frustrated as two chances went begging off his own bowling. Afghanistan's fielding lapses allowed New Zealand to post a formidable total that could have been restricted with better fielding. This, in turn, could have made the chase more attainable, despite Afghanistan's conservative approach with the bat.

In summary, Afghanistan's World Cup campaign hit a stumbling block against New Zealand due to a combination of factors, including shaky batting, ineffective fielding, and questionable decision-making. To get back on track, Afghanistan will need to address these issues promptly and regain their composure for the challenges that lie ahead.

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