AUS vs AFG ICC WC 2023 Prediction
In an attempt to guarantee a semi-final position, Australia will play an Afghanistan team that is riding high. With just Bangladesh and England eliminated, there is a wide-open competition for the final two slots in the top 4.
Six teams are vying for the last two spots in the World Cup semi-finals. Afghanistan would maintain the race and strengthen its argument with a victory. At a batting paradise in Wankhede, Hashmatullah Shahidi will support his men in giving it their all against the past champs.
While captain Hashmat has gone undefeated in the previous three victories and amassed two half-centuries, Rahmatullah Shah has scored three straight fifties.
With Warner in excellent form at the top and Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne also finding their rhythm in the middle order, Australia has a strong batting lineup.
Furthermore, Australians are far more dangerous in this game since Glenn Maxwell is probably available.
TEAMS PREVIEW
Australia Preview
Australia lost their opening two games of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which put them in the bottom three. Since then, they have miraculously recovered, winning five straight games. The five-time world champions would guarantee their semi-final position with a victory here.
In the most recent game, Pat Cummins demonstrated why he is the greatest candidate for captain across all forms by leading his team to a 33-run victory over England. When it comes to bowling, he has done a fantastic job of leading from the front.
He has been bowling with a really accurate approach. Going forward in the competition, the Australians are quite promising, and the favorites should be wary of them.
Based on individual performances, their hitting has appeared a little erratic in the past few games.
Nevertheless, Australia are strong overall, covering all the bases when it comes to hitting. This team has plenty of trustworthy match-winners at every batting position.
At the Wankhede in Mumbai, on a batting-friendly field, they should be looking to dominate the Afghanistan bowling attack with Glenn Maxwell back in the lineup.
Australia Predicted XI:
Travis Head, Steven Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), and Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan Preview
Afghanistan should be happy with how their World Cup campaign is going thus far. They had only won once in their previous two World Cups coming here, but they have since defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England.
Will they next take on Australia, another past champion? It might not be that simple. The Wankhede pitch is excellent and becomes even more so when the due come into action at night.
Therefore, it is safe to conclude that Afghanistan is likely to encounter its most difficult World Cup test to date in 2023. Notwithstanding this, we also cannot undervalue Afghanistan’s batting prowess.
Their openers were good, and their middle-order has been incredibly reliable. Afghanistan might perhaps reach a competitive total if they can successfully negotiate the first powerplay against the Australian pace attack, which is known for its moving ball.
The batsmen were outstanding even up against a potent Indian bowling attack, and they were even more so when they had to chase 283 against Pakistan. In order to lay the groundwork for the middle order to build upon in the middle overs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be essential at the top of the order.
Although this team has a lot of effective spin bowling options, the opposition boasts Warner, who in ODIs averages over 100 against spinners. The bowlers will have a difficult task in trying to put Australia on the defensive.
Afghanistan Predicted XI:
Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil (wk), and Mohammad Nabi
PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Weather Conditions
The hard, level surface provides consistent bounce and tempo, enabling accurate timing and stroke production. On this surface, batters can anticipate timing pull shots flawlessly. Considering the size of the ground, they also stand a high chance of easily clearing the boundary. There will be a lot of cloud cover and a high temperature of 34 degrees Celsius.
Venue Details
This match will take place in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Although the first innings score in ODIs is typically 247 runs, we believe the team batting first should aim for a total of 300+ runs. At this location, anything under that or even about 300–320 can be pursued.
Toss: To Bowl
When playing at Wankhede, this should be obvious. The traditional adage that most teams have adhered to when playing here is win the toss, bowl first. On this field, even a 300+ score can be chased down, particularly in a day-night match where the due is helping the hitters.
Winning Prediction
Australia will Win This Match
With consecutive wins, Australia and Afghanistan are both riding high. But given their general strength going into this game, the Australians will have an advantage. They are a considerably superior side in comparison because of their main players’ batting averages against spin and their pacers’ ability to swing the new ball and execute Yorkers at the end of the innings. Our match prediction is that Australia will start as the obvious favorite.
