Afghanistan, recent off their historic win in opposition to defending champions England, failed to copy their success in opposition to a decided New Zealand facet.
New Zealand prolonged their flawless begin to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with a commanding 149-run victory over Afghanistan on the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. This triumph propelled the Kiwis to the highest of the factors desk, solidifying their place as match favorites.
Afghanistan, recent off their historic win in opposition to defending champions England, failed to copy their success in opposition to a decided New Zealand facet on a difficult batting floor in Chennai.
Despite a shaky begin, the Kiwis managed to recuperate from the lack of three fast wickets, discovering themselves in a precarious place at 110 for 4. Following the early dismissal of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Will Young steadied the ship with a resilient 79-run partnership. However, their efforts have been minimize quick by Azmatullah Omarzai, who dismissed each batsmen within the twenty first over.
Daryll Mitchell’s contribution was short-lived as he fell sufferer to Rashid Khan within the very subsequent over. Nevertheless, New Zealand’s resolve remained unshaken, with captain Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips forging a essential 144-run alliance for the fifth wicket.
Both batsmen showcased their prowess by reaching half-centuries, launching a blistering assault on the Afghan bowlers. Phillips departed after a well-constructed 71 off 80 deliveries, whereas Latham contributed a composed 68 off 74 balls.
In the dying phases of the innings, Mark Chapman offered a transient however impactful cameo, smashing 25 runs off simply 12 deliveries to information New Zealand to a aggressive whole of 288 for six. Naveen ul-Haq emerged because the standout performer for Afghanistan, claiming two wickets whereas conceding 48 runs in his eight overs.
In response, New Zealand by no means allowed Afghanistan to settle of their pursuit of 289 runs. Matt Henry performed a essential function by taking the necessary wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz early on, placing Afghanistan on the again foot. Ibrahim Zadran and Hashmatullah Shahidi have been additionally dismissed by Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, respectively.
The spotlight of the match got here when Mitchell Santner made a potential catch of the match, eradicating the Afghanistan captain within the 14th over. Omarzai and Rahmat Shah then shaped a 54-run partnership earlier than Boult struck once more, dismissing Omarzai. Ravindra joined the motion and managed to dismiss Shah after he scored 36 runs off 62 balls.
Santner continued his spectacular efficiency by cleansing up Mohammed Nabi, changing into solely the second New Zealand spinner to say 100 ODI wickets, following within the footsteps of the legendary Daniel Vettori. Ferguson and Santner then labored collectively to dismantle Afghanistan’s decrease order, finally bowling them out for 139 runs in simply 34.4 overs. New Zealand emerged victorious with a commanding 149-run margin.
