Champions Trophy: Afghanistan Wins Toss and Chooses to Bat First Against Australia
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Synopsis
On February 28, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first against Australia in the Group B match of the 2025 Champions Trophy at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The outcome of this match is crucial for Afghanistan's semi-final hopes.
Key Takeaways
- Afghanistan won the toss against Australia.
- The match is vital for Afghanistan to qualify for the semi-finals.
- Both teams are playing on a used pitch.
- Weather conditions were uncertain but cleared up for the toss.
- Afghanistan's lineup remains unchanged after their win over England.
Lahore, Feb 28 (NationPress) Afghanistan has emerged victorious in the toss and has chosen to bat first against Australia in the Group B showdown of the 2025 Champions Trophy taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Despite experiencing heavy rain prior to the match in Lahore, the skies cleared just in time for the toss. Today’s match will be contested on a used pitch, which has previously hosted a game between Australia and England during this eight-team tournament.
The path for Afghanistan to reach the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy is straightforward; they must defeat Australia to ensure their progression. A loss in this match would result in their elimination from the tournament.
Even if rain interrupts the match and it ends up being abandoned, it won’t bode well for Afghanistan, as they could still be knocked out based on the net run rate.
Following the toss, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi confirmed that their playing eleven remains unchanged from their exciting victory over England.
“We are batting first because the pitch looks promising; it's a used pitch, as England and Australia have already played here, so it is expected to slow down in the later stages, allowing our spinners to come into effect,” he stated.
“We were pleased with our last performance; we have also devised strategies against Australia, and we hope to correct the errors we made against England,” he added.
Australia captain Steve Smith expressed that he would have preferred to bowl first as well. “With the uncertain weather conditions and the dew factor, I would have opted to bowl. Everyone is in good form, and it should be an exciting contest as we come in with strong intent and aggression,” he remarked.
Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Fazalhaq Farooqi
Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson
