Rashid Khan lives another day after a controversial 3rd umpire decision, puts Afghanistan in a good position against Australia

In yet another World Cup 2023 match, the umpire's decision became a topic of debate. Following Angelo Mathew's timed-out call controversy, a similar situation arose in the World Cup encounter between Australia and Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The contentious incident occurred in the 48th over of the game. Rashid Khan, attempting to go big, faced a slower-ball bouncer from Marcus Stoinis, almost getting outfoxed. Rashid managed to send the ball towards the point region, but it lacked the momentum to clear the boundary.

With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Marcus Stoinis sprinted towards the boundary and executed a forward dive to claim the catch. He appeared confident that he had taken a clean catch as were the viewers. Subsequently, the decision was referred to the third umpire, Chris Gaffeney.

Gaffney meticulously reviewed various angles and replays of the catch, taking considerable time to make his decision. From some angles, it appeared that Stoinis had his fingers underneath the ball, while from another perspective, it seemed the ball may have bounced before Stoinis cleanly got into the hands of Stoinis.

After the extended suspense, the verdict "NOT OUT" flashed on the big screen, much to the delight of the majority of the spectators at Wankhede Stadium. They were thrilled to witness Rashid Khan receiving a reprieve. Seizing the opportunity, Rashid Khan went on to capitalize, launching an assault on Mitchell Starc in the final over, amassing 16 runs. This remarkable effort saw Afghanistan achieve their highest-ever total in World Cup history, finishing at 291.

In the closing stages of their innings, Afghanistan managed to collect 64 runs in the last five overs. Their well-executed batting strategy involved preserving wickets at the start and then launching a late assault.

Zadran created history for Afghanistan

The standout performer of the match was Ibrahim Zadran, who etched his name in history as the first Afghanistan batsman to score a World Cup century. The 21-year-old star, Ibrahim, remained unbeaten at 129, facing 143 deliveries. He attributed his outstanding performance to a motivating pep talk from none other than Sachin Tendulkar on the eve of this high-profile match. Ibrahim expressed his aspiration to emulate Sachin Tendulkar's legacy by achieving a century against Australia, a feat he proudly accomplished.

The Wankhede wicket looked a bit drier than usual and Afghanistan posted a decent total. It won't be an easy chase for Australia as the ball will swing in the initial stages as it does under lights in Wankhede and once the ball becomes a bit softer, the dry pitch will assist world-class Afghani spinners. So, it's looking like we're in for a mouth-watering contest tonight.