Australia secured a thrilling victory over Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup 2023, becoming the third team to qualify for the semifinals. The match, held in Mumbai on Tuesday, saw Australia chase a target of 292 runs. Despite losing seven wickets for just 91 runs, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell played a remarkable innings, scoring the first double century by an Australian batter in Cricket World Cup history. Maxwell’s partnership with Pat Cummins proved to be crucial in Australia’s victory. With this win, Australia now has 12 points and will finish third in the standings regardless of the outcome of their last match.
However, the result of this match intensified the race for the fourth spot in the semifinals. Afghanistan’s loss places them in sixth position with eight points, the same as New Zealand in fourth place and Pakistan in fifth place. All three teams have one more match to play in the group stage, and their chances of qualifying for the semifinals will depend on the results of these matches.
If all three teams win their respective matches, the Net Run Rate (NRR) will determine the final standings, as all three teams will have 10 points. Currently, New Zealand holds the advantage with a better NRR. On the other hand, if all three teams suffer a loss, the NRR will still come into play.
India currently sits at the top of the table with 16 points, followed by South Africa with 12 points. While India is guaranteed to finish first, if South Africa loses their final match against Afghanistan, Australia can secure the second spot with a win over Bangladesh.
With the race for the semifinals heating up, cricket fans eagerly await the final matches to determine which teams will join India and South Africa in the Cricket World Cup 2023 semifinals.
