England, the world No 1 side, suffered defeat in their first warm-up match against a resurgent Australia. So much has been said about the strength of this English side and their contention for their maiden World Cup title. But even before the tournament has begun, the signs have already emerged that when it comes to the World Cup, every team goes in with a chance of winning it and that nothing is a foregone conclusion.
It wasn't a typical game in these conditions. Aus put up 297 — well below what has been par in ODIs in this part of the world recently — before going on to successfully defend it. While their failure to chase down a sub-300 total was an aberration on the part of Eng, they did have their share of positives to take from the match, such as James Vince, who replaced Alex Hales in their WC squad, continuing to show why he is an investment worth making.
Afghanistan began on the opposite note, picking up victory over Pak.
Their bowling strength came to the fore once again, with spinners Nabi and Rashid Khan snaring five wickets between them. The batting was solid, with contributions from various corners.
