Mitchell Marsh hoping for Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan in Super 8 clash

Australia's captain, Mitchell Marsh, has expressed his support for Bangladesh in their Super 8 match against Afghanistan, as Australia hopes to secure a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

Australia faced a 24-run defeat against India in their final Super 8 game on Monday, putting their semi-final hopes in jeopardy and making them reliant on the outcome of the crucial Bangladesh vs. Afghanistan match.

“It’s disappointing. We’re still technically in with a chance, but today India got the better of us,” Marsh said during a post-match interview.

“I think over the course of 40 overs there’s a lot of small margins, but honestly, India were the better team. We’ve seen for 15 years what Rohit Sharma can do in that kind of mood, and he got off to an absolute flier. In a run chase like that, you’re in it if you can keep it at tens for as long as possible, but India were too good for us. Come on, Bangladesh,” he added.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan set a target of 116 runs for Bangladesh in their must-win Super 8 match. Afghanistan needs a win or a rain-induced washout to qualify, while Bangladesh needs to chase the target in 12.1 overs. If they score 119 with a six on the last ball, they can achieve it in 12.5 overs. If they score 119 with a four, they can do it in 12.3 overs to still qualify. In the event of a 15-over game, Bangladesh would need 94 runs in 7.2 overs to make it to the semi-finals.

Australia is closely following this match as their progression depends on Bangladesh winning but not by a significant margin. Afghanistan, batting first, posted 115-5 in their 20 overs after a disciplined bowling performance by Bangladesh.