Afghanistan make inroads as England chase 326 to win
Buttler living dangerously, as Root holds fort
Jos Buttler played down his concerns ahead of this match, but if ever there was a player whose mood dictates their innings, it is England's captain. Defeat here could spell the end of his leadership stint, and for the first 24 balls of this stay, he has been batting with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had one massive let-off on 9, when Mohammad Nabi tweaked one into his pads but couldn't extract the on-field decision from umpire Wilson, despite Gurbaz's exhortations behind the stumps. But on 12, he finally connected with a clip off his toes for England's first six of the innings. Can that be the shot that changes his day? Root meantime ticks along serenely, as the requirement drops below 150 going into the final 20.
A nudged googly from Rashid Khan, and Joe Root jogs through for a cool run-a-ball fifty. It's his second in as many innings in this tournament, but if ever he needed to convert to a 17th ODI hundred, it is now. Win Predictor still reckons England are a 14% chance. Lose him now, and it will be as good as zip.
Mohammad Nabi was in the wickets for Afghanistan:
Just when it seemed that Harry Brook had got the measure of this chase... in the dewy conditions, and in a country where he has a Test triple-century to his name, the ease of Brook's early strokeplay had drawn so much of the jeopardy from England's chase. He had cruised along to 25 from 20 balls with three cherry-picked fours, the best of them a creamy cover-drive to leave a big dent in Rashid Khan's figures. But the old pro Nabi is never knowingly out of a contest. He keeps probing away with his high-armed action, until sending down a half-tracker that gives his quarry almost too many options. He chooses the worst of them: a nothing poke in the air, back down the pitch to a gleeful bowler. In comes England's skipper, with the best part of 200 runs still needed. This is getting very dicey now. At least Joe Root knows the drill. But who will stay with him?
Ben Duckett had a life before the drinks break, but he doesn't last long thereafter! As Afghanistan glugged their Gatorade, the most animated figure in their huddle was Rashid Khan, and sure enough he's the man to make the breakthrough, with his 199th ODI wicket! It needs a review to get him there, as Duckett is pinned on the pads by a very leg-sided googly. Umpire Rod Tucker deems it has pitched outside leg, but no! Ball-Tracker decides that has landed on the line of leg itself, and with Duckett so far back in his crease, there's no doubt where it's headed. A key partnership is broken and England'S in-form man is gone.
It's particularly vital given Duckett's prowess against legspin. He took Adam Zampa for 50 runs from 36 balls faced on this same ground on Saturday, and had begun in a similar vein with a flat pull through midwicket.
Much as they did against Australia in their opening fixture, Ben Duckett and Joe Root have shown admirable resolve in ticking along to a fifty stand for the third wicket, from a brisk 40 balls. Then as now, they came together midway through the powerplay and have set themselves for the long haul, safe in the knowledge that Afghanistan themselves started very slowly at the outset of their own innings, and there is plenty scope for catching up at the back end. Particularly if, as it would appear, the dew makes its appearance to help the ball skid onto the bat under the floodlights.
But, then, a massive let-off for Duckett on 29! He closes the face to Fazalhaq Farooqi, and a leading edge loops to Shahidi at mid-off. He has to reach forward, but that is a sitter, and
down it goes! The Afghan fans and players alike are aghast. How much will that change things?
Now then... is it happening again, you have to wonder? England's well-documented troubles against spin are put on notice at the very moment that Mohammad Nabi takes the ball at the start of the seventh over. Jamie Smith's eyes light up as he sizes up Nabi's classical looping offspin, and gallops to the perceived pitch of the ball. But the wily old stalwart sees him coming and skids the ball through. It takes a fat outside edge, loops to Azmat at backward point, and at 30 for 2, there's a sticky rebuild to be undertaken by Duckett and Joe Root.
It's the third consecutive ODI innings in which Mohammad Nabi has taken a wicket off the first ball he bowled. Not bad for a 40-year-old.
Injury worry for Wood:
This is deeply concerning for England. Mark Wood is prone to landing in a heap in his followthrough, but midway through his fourth over, he appears to fold into his left knee with particularly jarring force. He lies prostrate for a while, receiving treatment, and though he insists he's good to continue for the remaining two balls of the over, he is visibly grimacing as he hits the crease, and sure enough, he troops off for treatment thereafter.
A big worry for England, in the short term as well as the long term. They are already reliant on Liam Livingstone and Joe Root as their fifth bowling option, and now could have an additional six overs to make up.
... not, however, if Jofra Archer has anything to do with it! He needs just five more deliveries to prise out his third of the innings, as the dangerous Rahmat Shah top-edges a pull to Adil Rashid at backward square. He made 90 against South Africa, but is gone for 4 now.