World Cup LIVE: Australia take on Afghanistan in Super Eights

Afghanistan captain and Big Bash cult hero Rashid Khan has lauded his team’s upset victory over Australia, which could put his team into the semi-finals.

“It’s a massive win for us as a team and as a nation, in the World Cup, beating champions. I think it’s great feeling,” A beaming Rashid said after the 21-run victory in St Vincent.

Afghanistan were sent in by Mitchell Marsh, but Rashid said he would have batted first, and was happy their score of 149 on an inconsistent pitch.

“That’s something we had in our mind, 140 was a good total on this wicket,” Rashid said. “The belief was always we didn’t finish our innings as we should have. But this is what this wicket is all about. There will be some time that you will struggle, and I think we struggled at the end.“

But he praised his opening batsman for adding 118 before the first wicket fell. Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 60 in 49 balls and Ibrahim Zadran 51 from 48.

“The important thing was the opening partnership,” Rashid said. “They gave us the best start, and that’s something which led us to get to the total. And I think that was a kind of total we had in the mind, watching two games before.

“Anything 130 plus, we said we’re capable of defending that as long we keep calm, and we just have that belief.”

Rashid Khan was happy Afghanistan were sent in to bat.Credit: AP

Captain Mitchell Marsh has conceded that Afghanistan were allowed to score 20 too many runs after a sobering defeat that has left Australia’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals in serious doubt.

“It was an off night for us in the field, and we own that,” Marsh said after the 21-run loss. “That’s one of the great things about our team as an experienced group. We had an off night, and we’ll be back next game.”

That next game is against India early Tuesday morning (AEST). Win and both teams go through to the semi-finals. Lose and Australia will be relying on winless Bangladesh beating Afghanistan in their last group game, which would allow Australia to sneak into the semi-finals on run rate.

“First and foremost, it becomes really clear now we just need to win, and there’s no better team to do it against one of the biggest challenges in world cricket,” Marsh said. “We’ll remain positive. We had an off night tonight. Absolute full credit to Afghanistan. I thought they were brilliant, and we move on pretty quickly.”

Australia looked anything but a semi-finalist with poor fielding and then inconsistent batting against Afghanistan.

Teams batting first have consistently won on the tricky St Vincent and Marsh said Australia considered that before deciding to bowl after winning the toss.

“A lot of teams have bowled first throughout this tournament,” he said. “We try to get as much information as we can on the surface. So I certainly don’t think it was one I lost at the toss tonight. I was happy to bowl first.

“We knew what were to expect coming into this game. It wasn’t the easiest of wickets, but both teams played on it. Both teams had to bat and ball on it. We were outplayed tonight by Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan celebrate a victory over Australia.Credit: Getty Images

Daniel Brettig sums up Australia’s loss to Afghanistan

Australia’s first loss of the Twenty20 World Cup and their first ever to Afghanistan has left Mitchell Marsh’s team one game away from possible elimination - needing victory over India in the final Super Eights game to be sure of reaching the semi-finals.

Australia remain second on the table in their group ahead of Afghanistan and could still go through to the semi-finals if Bangladesh, without a win, beats Afghanistan in the last group match on Tuesday morning (AEST).

So assured over the first five games, the Australian campaign to hold all ICC trophies at the same time is now in extremely precarious territory after a loss against a team that Cricket Australia currently refuses to play in bilateral matches due to the human rights record of Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership.

For a time it appeared that Glenn Maxwell would again save Australia against Afghanistan, much as he did in Mumbai during last year’s ODI World Cup triumph. But his dismissal, to one of several excellent catches by Afghanistan, opened the door for Rashid Khan’s team to keep themselves alive.

Afghanistan will also have the advantage of playing Bangladesh on Tuesday morning after Australia face India on Monday night, therefore knowing exactly what they will need to achieve in order to progress. Marsh’s team must win against India and hope to stay in one of the top two places on run rate.

The decision to leave out Mitchell Starc for Ashton Agar, based on the likelihood of a turning track, will be debated given the left-arm paceman’s vaunted reputation. So too will the decision to chase after Marsh won the toss.

Agar, though, bowled tidily, and it was in the field where the Australians fell down most visibly.A decidedly sloppy fielding display, reminiscent of the way Australia had performed against Scotland in the final game of the pool phase, made the chase considerably more challenging than it might otherwise have been.

Australia are in serious danger of missing the T20 World Cup semi-finals after losing their Super Eight’s clash to Afghanistan by 21 runs in St Vincent. An underwhelming Australia were all out in the final over for 127 needing 149 for victory.

Australia require 24 from the last over with just one wicket in hand.

Australia are on the verge of defeat, with Ashton Agar brilliantly caught for 2 by Gulbadin diving to his left at cover to take a low catch.

Australia: 9-116 from 18 overs

Gulbadin Naib celebrates one of his four wickets.Credit: Getty Images

Pat Cummins has been bowled by clever slower ball for 3 as Australian wickets continue to fall. He had a big swipe at a full deliver and missed, giving Gulbadin his fourth wicket. He finished with a career-best 4-20.

Australia: 8-113 from 17 overs needing 149

Australia have lost the key wicket of Glenn Maxwell (59 from 41 balls), making their drive towards a semi-final spot ever more difficult. Maxwell sliced a ball behind point and Noor Ahmad took a fine, diving catch off Gulbadin Naib. It gave the eighth bowler used by Afghanistan his third wicket. In the next from Matthew Wade (5) attempted to sweep leg-spinner Rashid Khan and gloved the ball to square leg.

Afghanistan celebrate a wicket.Credit: Getty Images

Australia: 7-108 from 15.1 overs

Glenn Maxwell is playing a loan hand attempting to drag Australia into the semi-finals. He smacked a ball from Gulbadin back over the bowler’s head for six, his third along with five fours. Maxwell’s 50 came in only 35 balls.

Australia: 5-105 off 14 overs needing 149.

Australia are in further strife after Tim David was ruled lbw for two. A ball from seamer Gulbadin Naib darted back off the pitch and struck David on the pads. It appeared to be going down the leg side but DRS ruled umpires call after umpire Ahsan Raza raised his finger late.