Australia dominate Afghanistan: Here are the key takeaways
The ICC World Cup 2019 is off to a good start for the defending champions Australia as they registered a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in match number four at the County Ground in Bristol on Saturday. The tie was headlined by the international return of David Warner and Steve Smith. Let us have a look at the key takeaways from this tie.
How did the match pan out?
Winning the toss, Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib elected to bat first on a green track. However, they were off to a slow start, losing their openers in the power-play, as they posted an average total of 207, while Cummins and Adam Zampa claimed three wickets each. In reply, it was Aaron Finch and Warner's 96-run opening stand that ensured a praiseworthy win.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins: The pacers to watch out
The Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins just rattled the Afghan batting order. While Starc was economical, claiming 1/31, it was Cummins who made sure that the batsmen don't last long, claiming 3/40. Moreover, with the pitches in England known to assist seam, these pacers, especially Starc, could be even more deadly in coming matches.
Is ICC switching back to bowler-friendly pitches?
Prior to the start of the tournament, it was reported that the pitches in England were being made flat to assist the batsmen. The same was evident during the warm-up matches as well. However, barring the first game, the rest of the games have been low-scoring. If such a thing continues in the future matches, even 250 or above could be a par total.
Afghanistan learning from mistakes of other teams
Although Afghanistan scored a low total in their opening World Cup game against Australia on Saturday, it was evident that their maturity level was better than that of Pakistan on Friday. Unlike Pakistan, Afghanistan made sure that they don't commit silly errors in the middle and it is a sign that they are learning, not just from theirs, but other teams' mistakes as well.
Australia's cautiousness could have cost them a better net run-rate
While Australia registered a commendable and easy win over Afghanistan, it seemed that they were over cautious. Albeit it was a low-scoring total, Australia, judging by their batting power, they should have gone for the kill and aimed at chasing down the total within 20 for a better run-rate. Since this World Cup is round robin format, the net run-rate could be very crucial.
