Star spinner Rashid Khan asserted that the Afghanistan team is determined to make a strong comeback following a heartbreaking three-wicket loss to Australia in the World Cup 2023 match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
After posting a respectable score of 291 for the loss of five wickets in 50 overs, Afghanistan had Australia struggling at 91 for seven in 18.3 overs. However, Glenn Maxwell’s exceptional innings, scoring 201 runs off 128 balls during the chase, proved to be an obstacle for the Afghan team as Australia secured victory with 19 balls to spare.
Expressing his determination for a comeback, Rashid Khan shared a message on his social media.
“We’ll continue to fight,” he wrote on X.
Despite Rashid’s performance, picking up two wickets and scoring an unbeaten 18-ball 35, the loss was a hard pill to swallow.
Looking ahead, Rashid emphasized the importance of bouncing back in their upcoming match against Temba Bavuma’s South Africa. The crucial fixture is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 10, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Reflecting on the loss, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed disappointment during the post-match presentation.
“I’m really disappointed; cricket can be quite unpredictable. It was a surprising turn of events for us. We were doing well, and our bowlers had a strong start,” he said.
“The missed opportunities had a significant impact in the end. We couldn’t capitalize on those moments, and after that, Maxwell was unstoppable, credit to him. I believe the turning point was the dropped catch by Mujeeb at short fine leg. Following that, Maxwell played an impressive innings, executing all the shots and denying us any chances. Despite our bowlers giving their best, it was a challenging situation,” he added.