New Delhi: As the race for the semifinals intensifies, a washout in a game can change the entire permutations and combination. In group 1 the entire maths has boiled down to the last two matches of the group. In the first match, India takes on Australia while in the second match is a classical Asian fiasco between Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The Caribbean has very ‘unpredictable’ and ‘funny’ weather throughout the entire tournament. Naturally, all the teams are sweating for a full 40-over game. Amidst this hiatus of unpredictable weather, Australia has piled up even more worries on its shoulders. Their last game against Afghanistan can be at best described as chaotic and that has left them bereft of a clear-cut chance to the semis.
Back-to-back wins for the Men in Blue in the Super 8s! 💪 @hardikpandya7, your performance with the bat in the first innings was exceptional, and @imkuldeep18 – your spell was simply mind-blowing! 🔥 Let’s keep this momentum going, boys! 🇮🇳#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/54atxNODRn
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 22, 2024
The momentum gathered by the Aussies in their game against Bangladesh was thoroughly undone in their outing against Afghanistan. Naturally, the game against India becomes thoroughly interesting and throws a plethora of possibilities open for the Aussies.
What are the possibilities in case of a washout?
While India remains in a safe position given the NRR of +2.425 and 4 points, Australia remain steadfast at the second position with 2 points and +0.223 NRR. However, Australia will grace themselves with a good chance to qualify for the semis if they manage to beat themselves.
As said earlier, it’s going to be a stop-start-stop day by the looks of it.#IndvsAus #t20worldcup pic.twitter.com/JRRPmUeRgl
— Ayan (@ayan_acharya13) June 24, 2024
On the other hand, in the theatre of “Asian Derby” Afghanistan will fancy their chances to beat Bangladesh fair and square and join India in the semis. However, if the Aussies manage to pull back the result of the India vs Australia game in their favour, the Kangaroos will pip the Afghans to go to the semis.
Currently, Afghanistan is in the third position with 2 points and an NRR of -0.650. Naturally, for Rashid and Co. a win against Bangladesh will be the first step towards qualification as they await a favourable result in their favour
