Beating Australia in any format is a significant confidence boost for any team, but doing so in a do-or-die clash in a T20 World Cup highlights that this Afghanistan side must be taken seriously on the global cricketing stage.
The victory was set up by the opening batters, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who put on a 118-run partnership for the first wicket. Although only 30 further runs were added in the final 24 balls, their total of 148/6 proved too high for the Australians to chase down.
Afghanistan used eight bowlers against Australia, and a similar strategy could be employed in their next match.
For Bangladesh, vice-captain Taskin Ahmed missed their defeat against India on Saturday but is expected to return to the team, replacing the ineffective Jaker Ali.
Bangladesh's performance against India was poor, as they were outplayed from the start. Despite this, the Tigers remain in the tournament, and a significant win in their next match could see them sneak into the semi-finals. This would be an incredible turnaround for Najmul Hossain Shanto's side, who were 2-0 down in their T20I bilateral series with the USA just over five weeks ago.
