World Cup 2015 Match 26 Australia vs Afghanistan Review: A match of runs and records

World Cup 2015 Match 26 Australia vs Afghanistan Review: A match of runs and records: Australia got the chance of life time to get their train back on track against Afghanistan and regain their focus back in the World Cup.

Australia batted first and both David Warner and Aaron Finch got on the project to demolish Afghanistan. But Finch got out early for 4 and Steven Smith joined Warner to provide him the much needed support as he systematically destroyed the Afghan bowling line-up. Both Warner and Smith added 260 runs for the second wicket, the highest for any wicket for Australia. David Warner went on to make 178 runs off 133 balls with 19 fours and 5 sixes. He completely let loose after reaching his hundred and went after every bowler Afghan captain Mohd. Nabi used to contain him. Looking good for a well-deserved double hundred, he went for an extravagant shot and was dismissed by Shapoor Zadran for 178. Steven Smith also fell short of a hundred falling for 95 and Glen Maxwell gave the innings some impetus with a 39 ball 88. Maxwell looked good for a hundred too, but again fell short of the elusive hundred in ODIs. Australia scored 417/6, the highest score in World Cup beating India’s score of 413/5 against Bermuda in 2007 edition.

Afghan bowling had nothing to write home about with Dawlat Zadran going for 101 runs in his 10 overs. Shapoor Zadran went for 89 runs, Mohd. Nabi for 84 and Hamid Hassan for 70 runs. It is first time in ODI history that 4 bowlers went for 70 runs or more.

Afghanistan batting fared no good against a really fast Australian bowling on Perth pitch. Nowraz Mangal (33) and Najibullah Zadran (24) were the high scorers for Afghan team. Batsmen got starts but couldn’t convert it into a big score of a 100 or 80. Mitchell Johnson took 4/22 in 7.3 overs and Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both picked up 2 wickets each. Afghanistan were dismissed for 142 runs in 37.3 overs.

Australia won the match by 275 runs, which is the biggest margin in a World Cup win. David Warner won the Man of the match award for his brilliant 178 runs.

Brief scores:
Australia 417/6 (D Warner 178, S Smith 95; S Zadran 2/89) defeated Afghanistan 142 37.3 overs (N Mangal 33, N Zadran 24; M Johnson 4/22) by 275 runs.

Trivia and Records:
# 417/6 by Australia is the highest World Cup total, beating India’s 413/5 vs Bermuda in 2007.

# Afghanistan’s four bowlers conceded 70+ runs each – for the first time 4 bowler conceded 70 or more in same innings in World history.

# Australia 417/6 – this is the highest total in World Cup history as well as highest in Australia by any Team in List A.

# 260 runs stand between Steven Smith and David Warner is the highest stand for Australia in their ODIs history.

# Most number of bowlers conceding 80 plus runs in same ODI innings: 3 South Africa (v Australia at Johannesburg 12 Mar 2006), 3 Afghanistan (v Aus at Perth 4 Mar 2015)

# David Warner’ 178 is the highest score at the WACA (Perth) in List A matches.
Prev. Best: Murray Goodwin’ 167 for Western Australia in 2001

# David Warner 178 is the 3rd highest score by an Australian in ODIs after Watson’s 185* v Bangladesh 2011 & M Hayden’ 181* v NZ 2007.

# The win by 275 runs is the highest win by margin of runs beating India’s win by 257 runs over Bermuda in 2007 World Cup and South Africa’s win by 257 runs over West Indies in 2015 World Cup.

# Australia won by 275-run is the 2nd highest runs margin win in ODI history behind New Zealand’s 290-run win v Ireland 2008.

# Australia’s is the 17th total of 300 or more in this World Cup, which equals the most for one World Cup tournament. There were 17 in 2011 and 16 in 2007. No other World Cup has seen more than nine.