File picture of Afghanistan’s skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi with team coach Jonathan Trott after winning the match against Netherlands in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023
| Photo Credit: ANI

Afghanistan have rebounded from defeat at the World Cup and can do so again, coach Jonathan Trott said after Tuesday’s three-wicket loss to Australia in Mumbai.

Afghanistan had Australia reeling at 91-7 chasing 292 before Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 201 snatched a remarkable victory that sealed a semi-final slot for the five-time champions.

Trott’s side are sixth, trailing New Zealand and Pakistan on net run rate, but still have a shot at reaching the last four. They play second-placed South Africa on Friday.

“We lost the New Zealand game pretty heavily and came back and won the next game,” Trott told reporters. “We lost the India game very heavily. Came back and beat England.

“There is evidence of us coming back. But yeah, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. It would really be nice just sitting here with 10 points.

“But hopefully that’s after the South Africa game.”

Afghanistan had won only one match in their two previous World Cup campaigns but have already won four of their eight matches in India so far.

They were close to another upset victory in Mumbai before Maxwell’s incredible innings, though the Australian all-rounder was dropped twice early in his knock.

“He was hitting all. Guys were changing pace, he was hitting that. Spinners were bowling different lengths, he was hitting that,” Trott said of Maxwell.

“Sometimes you’ve got to take a cap off to a person the way that he played, but he shouldn’t have been allowed to play like that. We should have had him out earlier.”