Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis bowling the last over of a tense chase was a well-thought plan and not any coincidence or miscalculation on the part of stand-in captain Matthew Wade.
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In spite of taking the decision on his own, Wade didn’t “feel safe” knowing what his Indian Premier League franchise Gujarat Titans’ teammate Rashid Khan (48*) could do with the bat in hand in the death overs.
Stoinis, who had 22 runs to defend in the final over, did concede 17 against Afghanistan spinner Rashid but eventually managed to secure a 4-run victory at the Adelaide Oval tonight.
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“Okay, four overs out probably, brought our bowlers forward and gave Stoiny [Marcus Stoinis] the last. Knowing you have the all-rounder to bowl one of the last two is a bit nerve-wracking but I’ve seen Rash [Rashid Khan] do that plenty of times [in the IPL]. Never really felt safe,” Wade told the broadcaster during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Matthew Wade wishes Sri Lanka beat England in last Group 1 Super 12 match at SCG
Had Australia not picked four wickets for as many runs across nine deliveries before the slog overs, them ending up on the losing side in their first-ever T20I against Afghanistan wouldn’t have been a surprise. Although the hosts have managed to win their last Super 12 match, they aren’t guaranteed of a semi-final spot due to a poor Net Run Rate (-0.173).
Wade further revealed that Australia will be staying in Adelaide to watch the last Group 1 Super 12 match between England and Sri Lanka in Sydney together. Readers must note that Australia’s chances of qualifying for the semi-final hang by a thread as Sri Lanka will have to defeat England in order for the defending champions to play their second T20 World Cup semi-final in a row.
“We will stay here tonight and watch the game tomorrow. We’ll be happy for a bit of an upset. We put ourselves in this position from the get-go. We have been slow in this tournament and hopefully, it doesn’t cost us,” Wade rooted for a Sri Lankan victory on Saturday.
It is noteworthy that England have a stellar T20I record against Sri Lanka as they have neither lost a T20I against them in the last eight years nor lost a T20I against them at a neutral venue.
