England humiliated by Afghanistan to leave Cricket World Cup defence in peril

If the Cricket World Cup was in need of an upset, England - not for the first time - happily put themselves forward for the lead role. On a steamy night in Delhi, Rashid Khan did his trademark starman celebration and looked skyward to mark the moment of the greatest victory in Afghanistan’s history. England had been thrashed by 69 runs; they would leave the Arun Jaitley Stadium only with ashen looks.

The bare facts cannot convey the emotions - of delirious Afghan players who had overcome unconscionable hardship to dethrone the world champions; of England’s World Cup peril. But they illustrate the enormity of this occasion. Afghanistan had only won one of their previous 17 ODI World Cup matches - a one-wicket win against Scotland in Dunedin. England, who arrived at this tournament as holders of both the ODI and T20 World Cups, have now lost two of their three World Cup matches.

Upsets of this magnitude are normally earned by navigating moments of excruciating tension - Zimbabwe beat England in the 1992 World Cup by nine runs - or extraordinary individual performances - Kevin O’Brien’s 50-ball century when Ireland toppled England in the 2011 tournament.

The most striking facet of Afghanistan’s victory, perhaps, was its air of the routine. From the moment that Jonny Bairstow fell to the seventh ball of the chase, victim of a marginal lbw call, England never had control of what was ostensibly a middling chase of 285 runs. The sight of Joe Root bowled by a fuller, quicker delivery from Mujeeb Ur Rahman gave notice of how the wicket was assisting spin. Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan’s outstanding spin trio, combined for figures of 8-104 in 25.3 overs.

It was the sort of situation in which England would have longed for Ben Stokes; instead, he was in a yellow bib, wearing a pained expression. Not that his replacement could be blamed. Harry Brook drove fluently, ran smartly and, perhaps more than anything, showed a capacity to problem-solve that his teammates lacked. Facing Naveen-ul-Haq, for instance, Brook stride out to the off side, met the ball before it had time to move and pushed it down the ground for four.

England slept-walked to their fate

There was little sign of such resourcefulness from the rest of the batting line-up. After all the talk of England’s default being to ‘fall on the positive side’ when under pressure, tentativeness was the hallmark of their display. The final wicket, Mark Wood, was the sole man to succumb when trying to hit a boundary.

For all the excellence of Afghanistan’s spinners, England slept-walked to their fate, their feet as statuesque as if they had been met by Medusa’s stare. From the 21st to 30th overs, England mustered just 28 runs; Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb all settled into a rhythm entirely of their choosing.

While Rahmanullah Gurbaz swatted four sixes off short deliveries, it took England until their 31st over, and a Brook slog sweep, to hit their first six. For all that head coach Jonathan Trott is trying to improve Afghanistan’s ability to rotate the strike, their dominance in the sixes count - eight to England’s pitiful one - goes a long way towards explaining their victory.

With hindsight, the very first ball of the day was a portent of what was to come. Chris Woakes’ delivery sprayed down the leg side; Jos Buttler failed to catch it clearly and it dribbled away for five wides.

It was also in keeping with Woakes’s tournament. His new-ball excellence was central to England’s World Cup victory four yeas ago; after being thrashed by Gurbaz, once again bowling by turns too short and too full, he has now leaked 135 runs in 18 overs this tournament, and is conceding almost nine an over during the Powerplay. Yet Sam Curran is at least as big a concern. As tailender Mujeeb slammed him for consecutive fours - the second from a full toss so high that it was a no-ball - and then a six over midwicket from the free hit, it was hard to reconcile Curran’s performance with the man who had been player of the tournament when England won the T20 World Cup last year.

After a blistering opening stand of 116, Adil Rashid, abetted by Liam Livingstone and Joe Root, hauled England back into the game. Yet the contrasting performances of the seamers - 3-189 from 25.5 overs - and spinners, who mustered 5-94 from 24 overs, betrayed that England misread the pitch both by choosing to bowl and by omitting Moeen Ali.

Naturally, much of the coming days will be spent dissecting what England did wrong. And yet such questions should not detract from the magnitude of Afghanistan’s achievement.

Even on a strictly cricketing level, it was astounding. It is only 19 years since Afghanistan’s first official cricket fixture. Nabi, who claimed two crucial wickets in his 150th ODI, began his international career navigating tournaments in Jersey, Tanzania and Argentina. The wider context - the horrors of Taliban rule, of players unable to play at home and many players no longer living in Afghanistan - elevates the victory to an altogether different plane.

England left uphill climb to retain World Cup crown: as it happened, below

05:30 PM BST

Bit more from Jos, now talking to MA Atherton on Sky

“Not at the level we needed to be right from the start.

“They full deserved the win. They were the better team, they have some fantastically talented players, they are growing and improving. A dangerous side.

“Chris Woakes has been brilliant over a long period of time so you keep backing him. You keep backing your class players.

“Ben Stokes has been working hard but wasn’t quite fit for today.

“I have experienced a few lows in my career. In 2019 we lost a couple and got in a position to win.”

Atherton asks him if he still has faith in this group of player, Buttler says: “yes”. He won’t be drawn into how many games England now have to win. Both of those answers are fair enough I’d say.

I think we will leave it there. Congratulations to Afghanistan, what a brilliant win.

05:21 PM BST

Hashmatullah Shahidi

“This is our best win. The confidence will be there for the next games. The whole country will be proud and happy.

“The openers gave us good start. Ikram has not had too many chances but has been with us for two years. Me and coach believed in him and we gave him the opportunity.

“Mujeeb was brilliant. Team needed him and he led from the front.”

Coach is, of course, Jonathan Trott: here’s a piece on him.

Jonathan Trott taking scenic route into coaching with unique job at Afghanistan

“I said to the boys that 280 or 290 will be enough on this track because there will be a lot of support [assistance] for the spinners.

“Moving forward, Inshallah, we will be positive. This will be the first one not the last one.”

05:17 PM BST

Jos Buttler

“Disappointing. Having won the toss and electing to field, me missing the first ball down the legside set the tone. Congratulations to Afghanistan, they were the better team. We were not at the level we wanted to play.

They have a skillful attack, some fantastic spin bowlers especially, they put us under a lot of pressure. We thought the dew might come in more. The ball held up a little, there was some indifferent bounce. They bowled dead straight, keeping the stumps in play. We were not quite good enough today.

We need to show a lot of resilience and come back fighting. We will all be working to put things right.”

05:05 PM BST

Mujeeb is the player of the match

“Very proud, this is for the whole nation. We worked so hard and we have beaten a big team. Hard to bowl in the PP as a spinner but I have been working on it in the nets and trying to be consistent, bowl stump to stump,” says Mujeeb, with Rashid Khan translating.

He took three wickets and chipped in with the bat.

“This win is dedicated to the people back home who have been affected by the earthquake. This is something we could do as a team and I could do myself as a player.”

England, not for the first time, couldn’t deal with the spinners. Combined figures of  25.3-2-104-8.

05:02 PM BST

Afghanistan win by 69 runs

They have beaten the defending champions, this is one of the greatest results in World Cup cricket and surely the greatest day in Afghan cricket history. What a magnificent performance, they have deserved it from the off, and England hang their heads in shame. They have been undone by Afghanistan’s trio of spinners: three for Mujeeb, three for Rashid, two for Nabi. Very, very well played by those guys and their colleagues.

05:00 PM BST

WICKET! Mark Wood b Rashid Khan 18

Rashid Khan! He has done it! Wood heaves all around the ball, misses it and is bowled. FOW 215/10

04:59 PM BST

OVER 40: ENG 213/9 (Wood 17* Topley 14*) target 285

Topley smears three fours. Go on son.

04:52 PM BST

OVER 39: ENG 199/9 (Wood 16* Topley 1*) target 285

Wood flays the ball to cover, who has been brought up to try and keep Wood on strike. But Fazalhaq Farooqi has dropped the hard low chance.

He’ll bowl the next over, though, so a chance to make amends without delay.

04:51 PM BST

WICKET! Rashid c Nabi b Rashid 20

That’s it! Rashid Khan changes ends, Adil Rashid plops forward and edges the ball to slip. FOW 198/9

04:48 PM BST

OVER 38: ENG 196/8 (Rashid 19* Wood 15*) target 285

Fazalhaq Farooqi comes back on. Wood, who looks like he is enjoying this, batters it for four.

04:43 PM BST

OVER 37: ENG 190/8 (Rashid 18* Wood 10*) target 285

Mujeeb, the bowler, dirties his own figures with four overthrows. Even still, he finishes with ten overs 3 for 51.

04:41 PM BST

OVER 36: ENG 182/8 (Rashid 12* Wood 8*) target 285

England’s only hope now is vibes, which Wood certainly has, as does Rashid. They need to get the Afghans rattled and make them choke. A beefy slog from each batter here and that’s a couple of fours.

04:36 PM BST

OVER 35: ENG 173/8 (Rashid 7* Wood 4*) target 285

Wood smokes one down the ground for four. Reckon it’s all long handle from here to be honest. They still need a whopping 112.

04:34 PM BST

WICKET! Brook c Ikram Alikhil b Mujeeb

That’s it! Surely that’s it? The massive wicket of Harry Brook, caught at the wicket, and the Afghanistan boys are going crackers. Brook tried to work the ball to leg, got the outside edge as it just held its line, edged it, and the keeper did the rest. FOW 173/8

04:32 PM BST

OVER 34: ENG 168/7 (Brook 66* Rashid 6*) target 285

Adil Rashid is off the mark with an attractive shot through the legside.

04:31 PM BST

OVER 33: ENG 160/7 (Brook 64*) target 285

That came off the last ball of the over.

04:23 PM BST

WICKET! Woakes b Mujeeb 9

Ooh big review and potentially a bit moment! Mujeeb slides one down, pins Woakes on the pads and that is going to be close. It’s given out! But Chris reviews - and correctly. It was going down. Blimey that was a heart in mouth moment.

But the disappointment does not last for long! The wristy bowler gets plenty of action on this delivery, Woakes plays the wrong line and is bowled. No reviewing that! Chris Woakes has take 26 balls for his 9 and he’s on his bike. FOW 160/7

04:20 PM BST

OVER 32: ENG 160/6 (Brook 64* Woakes 9*) target 285

Nice shot from Woakes to pick the slower one from Naveen-ul-Haq and put that away for four.

04:11 PM BST

OVER 31: ENG 154/6 (Brook 63* Woakes 4*) target 285

A six! The first of the innings. Brook with the max over fine leg. Mujeeb the bowler. Run out chance for Ibrahim on this over. Afghanistan maybe a little off the intensity level in the last couple of overs. Perhaps the enormity of what they might achieve here is starting to dawn/weigh on them?

Drinks./

04:08 PM BST

OVER 30: ENG 143/6 (Brook 53* Woakes 3*) target 285

Oof, dear old Woakesy not really looking too secure here, plodding forward robotically as Nabi gets plenty of turn and flight.

04:03 PM BST

OVER 29: ENG 141/6 (Brook 52* Woakes 3*) target 285

Woakes drives at Rashid K and is lucky to miss it. That’s a maiden.

04:00 PM BST

OVER 28: ENG 141/6 (Brook 52* Woakes 3*) target 285

Chris Woakes comes to the crease.

The dew is starting to settle on the ground, will that make it harder for Afghanistan’s battery of twirlymen?

03:56 PM BST

WICKET! S Curran c Rahmat b Nabi 10

Lovely, lovely bowling. Classic off-spinner’s dismissal against the leftie, draws him forward with the dip for the hard-handed poke, turns away and slip does the rest. Peach. FOW 138/6

03:54 PM BST

OVER 27: ENG 138/5 (Brook 52* S Curran 10*) target 285

Just four off the Rashid over as the run rate, and the pressure on England, continues to ratchet up.

03:53 PM BST

OVER 26: ENG 134/5 (Brook 50* S Curran 8*) target 285

Afghanistan continue to keep it tight. Harry Brook reaches his fifty.

03:48 PM BST

OVER 25: ENG 132/5 (Brook 49* S Curran 7*) target 285

153 runs needed and England have it all to do at the halfway stage.

The superb Rashid’s over goes for three. He has five left to bowl.

03:45 PM BST

OVER 24: ENG 129/5 (Brook 48* S Curran 5*) target 285

Three of the Nabi over. Both sides seemingly content to take a breath before the battle ahead.

03:44 PM BST

OVER 23: ENG 126/5 (Brook 47* S Curran 3*) target 285

One off the Rashid Khan over, but the required run rate (5.9) is not a particular concern. To state the obvious, it’s the everyone getting out concern that is the concern.

03:41 PM BST

OVER 22: ENG 125/5 (Brook 47* S Curran 2*) target 285

Azmatullah to Brook, who cuts behind square for four. England need a ton from Brook here.

03:36 PM BST

OVER 21: ENG 119/5 (Brook 42* S Curran 1*) target 285

Afghanistan have only ever won one match at the Cricket World Cup, lowering the colours of fellow powerhouse Scotland at the 2015 edition. They are now odds on to beat England, actual England, and I for one am very here for it. What a famous day this would be.

England’s selfless commitment to farce always brightens up these events.

03:31 PM BST

WICKET! Livingstone lbw Rashid 10

Ooh that’s surely out! Liam L slogs across the line, misses the ball as it goes on straight from over the wicket. Smashed on the pad bang in front and Livingstone them compounds the offence by asking for the review. FOW 117/5

03:29 PM BST

OVER 20: ENG 115/4 (Brook 40* Livingstone 9*) target 285

Azmatullah comes on for a seven-run over.

03:28 PM BST

OVER 19: ENG 108/4 (Brook 35* Livingstone 7*) target 285

Three off the over.

03:25 PM BST

OVER 18: ENG 105/4 (Brook 34* Livingstone 5*) target 285

Liam L is off the mark with a free hit, that’s a nice settler.

Naveen-ul-Haq is the bowler and this is an expensive over. Four off the free hit to Livingstone, then a cover drived four from Brook and a short ball crunched through midwicket by HB as well. 15 off the over with a wicket.

03:16 PM BST

WICKET! Buttler b Naveen-ul-Haq 9

Well bowled! Superb! He sets Jos up with a few that move away and now seams one back in and Buttler plays down the wrong line. Brilliant. Well done. FOW 91/4

03:14 PM BST

OVER 17: ENG 90/3 (Brook 25* Buttler 9*) target 285

Rashid Khan, one of theAfghanistan’s teams aces, comes on for a bowl. Buttler with a commanding drive through the covers.

Here’s Tim Wigmore:

“Rashid Khan’s last bowl began with the opposition 125-0 off 14 overs. Now they’re 82-3 off 16 overs: exactly the sort of platform he wants. But eight from his first over, including a drive for four from Jos Buttler to greet him.”

03:08 PM BST

OVER 16: ENG 82/3 (Brook 22* Buttler 4*) target 285

Brook, hard hands, edges through the cordon for four. Only a one-man cordon, I should say. But now an excellent shot from Brook for four. Naveen-ul-Haq’s over goes for 10.

03:00 PM BST

OVER 15: ENG 72/3 (Brook 13* Buttler 3*) target 285

Nabi with another handy over. It’s drinks, and the required run rate is now north of a run a ball.

02:58 PM BST

OVER 14: ENG 69/3 (Brook 12* Buttler 1*) target 285

Naveen-ul-Haq to Buttler, beats him., ties him up - and it is a maiden over. Bowling!

02:55 PM BST

OVER 13: ENG 69/3 (Brook 12* Buttler 1*) target 285

Here comes skipper. Can Jos sort this out?

02:49 PM BST

WICKET! Malan c Zadran b Nabi 32

Another one! Malan, who has played effectively but not convincingly, will have to go. He’s chipped a ball to cover and that’s FOW 68/3 It was well bowled, a little bit of dip, nicely flighted.

The exciting, hilarious possibility of an England defeat to Afghanistan is ON.

02:44 PM BST

OVER 12: ENG 66/2 (Malan 31* Brook 11*) target 285

Bowling change brings Naveen-ul-Haq into the fray. Malan with a very dicey boundary, edged wide of slip. England profit from four leg byes next ball, but only a single off the rest of the over.

The hugely experienced Mohammad Nabi coming on for a bowl next.

02:37 PM BST

OVER 11: ENG 57/2 (Malan 25* Brook 11*) target 285

Mujeeb continues, five off the over.

02:35 PM BST

OVER 10: ENG 52/2 (Malan 23* Brook 9*) target 285

Very attractive shot from Brook to clip the ball away for four, but as the powerplay comes to an end, it’s the English who have questions to answer.

Here is Tim Wigmore:

“There’s often a pattern in day-night matches in India. The start of the run chase can be the hardest time to bat in the match - and it’s certainly often felt that way for England, with Farooqi swinging the ball in while Mujeeb has bowled with immaculate control. But as the new balls lose their shine and the dew takes effect, the remainder of the chase can then be the easiest time to bat in the match. England will hope that’s the case tonight. If Rashid Khan is at his best, Afghanistan will fancy their chances of a first ever victory over England.”

02:28 PM BST

OVER 9: ENG 46/2 (Malan 23* Brook 3*) target 285

That’s the first bad thing the AFG side have done in this innings, five wides from Mujeeb.

02:26 PM BST

OVER 8: ENG 36/2 (Malan 20* Brook 1*) target 285

Fazal continues his excellent work with a three-run over.

02:20 PM BST

OVER 7: ENG 33/2 (Malan 19* Brook 0*) target 285

Harry Brook replaces his Yorkshire colleague and England have got their hands full here.

02:19 PM BST

WICKET! Root b Mujeeb 11

Sensational! Well bowled. Root plays back to one that’s a touch too full, it skittles through perhaps a little bit on the low side, and Mighty Joe Root is castled. FOW 33/2

02:17 PM BST

OVER 6: ENG 29/1 (Malan 19* Root 7*) target 285

Fazalhaq Farooqi with some more fine bowling, beats Malan with the swing. Malan fights back with a thumping boundary. England are in a fight here. C’mon Afghanistan - believe in yourselves.

02:16 PM BST

OVER 5: ENG 22/1 (Malan 13* Root 7*) target 285

Mujeeb gets through another tidy over of his darts.

02:02 PM BST

OVER 4: ENG 19/1 (Malan 11* Root 6*) target 285

Nice bit of bowling from Fazal again, he’s done Malan with the swing there and DM is lucky that the leading edge lands not only safe but runs for four. Strays wide next ball and Malan happily carves that to the rope, don’t give him width. Fazal with some more swing off ball four, pins Malan on the pad. Given not out but the Afghans want to ask the question and review the LBW. Too high. But a good shout and a good review I’d say. Malan survives. But England are getting tested here.

01:59 PM BST

OVER 3: ENG 10/1 (Malan 2* Root 6*) target 285

Another useful over - back to Mujeeb. Produces one that turns the other way. No attacking shots of note.

01:56 PM BST

OVER 2: ENG 7/1 (Malan 1* Root 4*) target 285

Fazal tries to repeat the dose next ball, but Joe Root gets inside his first delivery well enough to tickle that fine for four. Jags the next ball back to hit Joe on the thighpad - this is a good start from Fazal and enjoyable to watch.

01:52 PM BST

WICKET! Bairstow lbw Fazal 2

Fazal is bowling from over the wicket for his left-arm medium pacers. It is an inswinger first ball, Bairstow plays across the line and is hit on the pads. Bairstow reviews without delay, thinking that is swinging down leg. But he’s wrong! It is clipping leg and we stay with the umpire’s on-field call. YJB can feel a bit hard done by there I think, that didn’t look quite right in real time. But who cares about that - well bowled Fazal and the Afghans are in the hunt! FOW 3/1

01:45 PM BST

OVER 1: ENG 3/0 (Bairstow 2* Malan 1*) target 285

Mujeeb Ur Rahman will bowl the first over. Bairstow is on strike. There are three singles off the over. Mujeeb getting a little bit of swing away from the leftie Malan with his darted off-breaks.

Fazal will bowl the next over.

01:44 PM BST

England need 285

Afternoon all, Tyers here. A good crowd, and a good atmosphere, as the teams take the field for England’s reply. Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan the batsmen, and they lead England’s attempt to better the Afghanistan total of 284. They were bowled out with a ball to spare, 49.5 ov.

Here is Tim Wigmore:

“A cracking atmosphere in Delhi - raucous support for both sides in an intimate stadium. Interesting game so far, with Afghanistan producing their best batting performance of the tournament - 285 could be a challenging chase for England. Sam Curran - who leaked 46 from his four overs - and Chris Woakes - who conceded 41 from his four - are among the disappointments for England but spin turned the innings. The worry is Afghanistan have two brilliant spinners.”

01:15 PM BST

Wicket and end of innings

Naveen run out Buttler 5  Buttler runs out Naveen to finish off the innings and Afghanistan are all out for 284. England will need 285 runs to make it two wins from three in the tournament so far.

That is all for me, but I will put you in the capable hands of Alan Tyers.

01:11 PM BST

OVER 49: AFG 282/9 (Naveen 4 Fazal 1)

Another streaky boundary for Afghanistan as Naveen slogs the ball and it flies off the outside edge and away for four.

01:07 PM BST

Wicket

Mujeeb c Root b Wood 28  Another catch for Root. Mujeeb gives himself space by backing away but can only top edge into the night sky and Root takes the catch at point. FOW 277/9

01:05 PM BST

Wicket

Ikram c Curran b Topley 58  Ikram heaves Topley, who is back into the attack, over mid-wicket for six. Topley then bowls a no-ball, over waist height, and Afghanistan have another free-hit. Mujeeb digs it out and it goes towards the boundary but superb fielding from Woakes saves a run. Off the final ball Ikram tries to smash Topley over long-on but Curran is there to take the catch. FOW 277/8

12:58 PM BST

OVER 47: AFG 263/7 (Mujeeb 23 Ikram 50)

It looks like Afghanistan will get a similar total to the one they got on this ground the other day against India, which ended with India winning comfortably.

Mujeeb takes a big swipe off the bowling of Wood and it flies off the outside edge for four down to a fine third-man. Another edge, this time off the inside edge down to fine-leg for a single. That was a great yorker from Wood and Mujeeb just got his bat onto it.

More luck for Afghanistan. Ikram tries to get out of the way of a bouncer and it flies off his gloves over the head of Buttler for two. Wood has been so unlucky in this over not to get a couple of wickets. Ikram has brought up his fifty.

12:53 PM BST

OVER 46: AFG 255/7 (Mujeeb 18 Ikram 47)

Curran will continue from the other end. He bowls a slower ball into the wicket but Mujeeb is waiting and swats him away for four through cow corner. He then slashes a no-ball over third-man for four. Free hit coming up which he smashes for six. This is hopeless from Curran. Him and Woakes have been appalling tonight.

That was a big over for Afghanistan, 18 runs in total.

12:47 PM BST

OVER 45: AFG 237/7 (Mujeeb 2 Ikram 46)

That was Adil Rashid’s third wicket of the night. He has been superb tonight. It has been a long time since he has bowled this well. That is the end of his spell and he finishes up with figures of 10 overs, one maiden, 3-42.

12:43 PM BST

Wicket

Rashid Khan c Root b Adil Rashid 22  What a stunning catch from Joe Root! Rashid Khan advances down the wicket and hits towards long-on. Root runs round to his right and at full stretch pulls off a great diving catch. FOW 233/7

12:41 PM BST

Live from Delhi

“Lots of positives for England after the poor start but Liam Livingstone’s bowling was among the most significant with the rest of the tournament in mind. He bowled his 10 overs straight through, showing extra control - with both leg spin and off spin - and only conceding 33 runs. He could have had more than one wicket, too, but for Jos Buttler’s missed stumping when Ikram Alikhil had 23.”

12:41 PM BST

OVER 44: AFG 233/6 (Rashid 23 Ikram 44)

Curran is coming back into the attack to replace Topley. He has bowled just two overs today and it is safe to say they were not great, going for 26 runs. Can he improve his figures here?

A good return for Curran in that over. Just two singles conceded.

12:36 PM BST

OVER 43: AFG 231/6 (Rashid 22 Ikram 43)

Adil Rshid strays onto Rashid Khan’s pads and he flicks it away for two. This is a great battle between two great leg-spinners, although their bowling style is slightly different. The umpires are not happy. Throughout this innings Afghanistan have constantly been running straight down the middle of the wicket.

12:32 PM BST

OVER 42: AFG 227/6 (Rashid 19 Ikram 42)

Really nice shot from Ikram. This time he late cuts to Rashid’s left at third-man and it runs away for four. After that four from the first ball Topley keeps it tight going for just another couple of runs.

12:28 PM BST

OVER 41: AFG 221/6 (Rashid 19 Ikram 36)

Adil Rashid comes on to replace Wood. He has bowled brilliantly today and has three overs remaining. Just singles from that over, five of them. Another good over from Rashid. England will be happy to only concede five runs an over from here on in.

12:24 PM BST

OVER 40: AFG 216/6 (Rashid 17 Ikram 33)

Ikram manages to squeeze a late cut down to third-man which beats Rashid and goes for four. Ten overs to go and into the final powerplay. What total will Afghanistan reach?

12:18 PM BST

OVER 39: AFG 207/6 (Rashid 15 Ikram 27)

Just three singles off that Wood over.

12:16 PM BST

OVER 39: AFG 205/6 (Rashid 14 Ikram 26)

We have a stoppage in play here as Ikram is hit on the shoulder by Wood and is clearly wounded.

12:12 PM BST

OVER 38: AFG 204/6 (Rashid 13 Ikram 26)

Another slightly fortunate boundary for Rashid. He gets cuts Livingstone away just past Wood for four. That is the end of Livingstone’s spell and a great one at that. 1-33 from his 10 overs, exactly what Buttler was after and probably more.

12:09 PM BST

OVER 37: AFG 198/6 (Rashid 8 Ikram 25)

First ball to Rashid Khan is dispatched through cover for four. What a fantastic shot. Wood is steaming in as he goes just past the edge of Rashid’s bat. This is quick! Rashid is rather lucky to squeeze a ball between two fielders behind square on the offside for four.

12:05 PM BST

Wicket

Nabi c Root b Wood 9  Too quick for Nabi! He tries to pull Wood but the ball is too fast onto him and it loops up to Root in a gully position for an easy catch. FOW 190/6

12:02 PM BST

OVER 36: AFG 190/5 (Nabi 9 Ikram 25)

An opportunity missed for England. Livingstone gets another one to turn past Ikram’s edge but Buttler cannot take the stumping chance. He should have had that.

11:59 AM BST

OVER 35: AFG 186/5 (Nabi 7 Ikram 23)

Wood has now come back on to bowl, replacing Root. On a couple of occasions Wood goes juts past the outside edge of Nabi’s bat. Three runs from Wood’s first over back into the attack.

11:55 AM BST

OVER 34: AFG 183/5 (Nabi 6 Ikram 21)

Five singles picked up for Afghanistan from that Livingstone over. England have certainly got a good grip on this game that they did not have 20 overs ago, but they cannot afford to let go of that grip.

11:52 AM BST

OVER 33: AFG 178/5 (Nabi 4 Ikram 18)

Nabi sees off a few dot balls off Root at the start of his innings before sweeping over square leg for four to get him going.

11:47 AM BST

Wicket

Hashmat b Root 14  He has got him! Hashmat has really struggled. He only managed 14 runs from 36 balls and the old phrase rings true; you miss, I hit! FOW 174/5

11:46 AM BST

OVER 32: AFG 174/4 (Hashmat 14 Ikram 18)

Livingstone, in the middle of a great spell, continues. Only four runs comes of that over and he has only conceded 18 runs in his seven overs.

11:44 AM BST

OVER 31: AFG 170/4 (Hashmat 13 Ikram 15)

Root’s third over goes for just three runs. It looks like Buttler and Bairstow have been having a chat with Wood, suggesting the speedster from Ashington could be about to come back on to bowl very soon.

11:40 AM BST

OVER 30: AFG 167/4 (Hashmat 12 Ikram 13)

Livingstone has bowled some absolute beauties today and another one nearly dismisses Ikram, just turning past the edge of the bat and off stump. Buttler will be loving the job the part-time spinner is doing.

11:37 AM BST

OVER 29: AFG 166/4 (Hashmat 12 Ikram 12)

Root drags it down and Ikram dispatches him over mid-wicket for six. That ball deserved to be whacked and Ikram obliged.

11:35 AM BST

OVER 28: AFG 159/4 (Hashmat 12 Ikram 5)

Livingstone is bowling a great spell here. Just two runs from his latest over gives him figures of 1-13 from his five overs.

11:33 AM BST

OVER 27: AFG 157/4 (Hashmat 11 Ikram 4)

Woakes’ return lasted one over and Joe Root has come on to replace him. Spin is working wonders for England today. Will Buttler be thinking he should have picked another spinner in the shape of Moeen Ali? A good first over from Root is ruined as Ikram gets off the mark with a cut past point for four.

11:29 AM BST

Wicket

Azmat c Woakes b Livingstone 19  Another wicket for England. Azmat tries to take on Livingstone down the ground but picks out Woakes on the long-off boundary. Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott does not look particularly impressed with that shot! FOW 152/4

11:26 AM BST

OVER 25: AFG 149/3 (Hashmat 8 Azmat 18)

Woakes comes back into the attack and his return has a similar look already to his initial spell. His slower balls have not worked and once again he is dispatched. He is smashed over long-on for six by Azmat.

Woakes looks all over the place in this World Cup so far. Is his place under threat? Now he is too wide and Azmat hits him through point for four. Woakes has gone for 41 runs in four overs.

11:20 AM BST

OVER 24: AFG 139/3 (Hashmat 8 Azmat 8)

Four singles for that Livingstone over. He has gone for just eight runs in three overs.

11:19 AM BST

Not out

It was not turning too much but the ball was going over. That looked a very good shout, both in real time and on replay but it was adjudged to be missing over the top of the stumps. England lose their review.

11:18 AM BST

OVER 24: AFG 137/3 (Hashmat 7 Azmat 7)

Livingstone bowls an absolute ripper and England appeal for an LBW. The umpire says no but Buttler will review. Let’s see...

11:16 AM BST

OVER 23: AFG 135/3 (Hashmat 6 Azmat 6)

Six runs for Afghanistan off Rashid’s seventh over. They need Hashmat and Azmat to build a strong partnership here.

11:13 AM BST

OVER 22: AFG 129/3 (Hashmat 3 Azmat 4)

England are really starting to turn the screw here. Just two runs from the latest Livingstone over. After 16 overs Afghanistan were 111/0. Six overs later they have lost three wickets and scored just 18 runs.

11:10 AM BST

OVER 21: AFG 127/3 (Hashmat 2 Azmat 3)

After a dismal start to the innings, Rashid and Wood have really pulled this game back. Rashid’s figures through six overs are 2-23. This is probably the best he has bowled in a long time.

11:07 AM BST

OVER 20: AFG 125/3 (Hashmat 1 Azmat 2)

Liam Livingstone has come on to replace Wood. In the last 24 balls there have been just 14 runs for the loss of three wickets. Just a couple of runs from Livingstone’s first over. Another bit of good news for England is that Topley has returned to the field.

11:05 AM BST

OVER 19: AFG 123/3 (Hashmat 0 Azmat 1)

This game has completely changed in the space of a few overs. Afghanistan were 114/0 not long ago.

11:03 AM BST

Wicket

Gurbaz Run Out Willey 80  What was I just saying? You get one wicket and a number can quickly fall. Two wickets in two balls. Hashmat calls Gurbaz through for a single that was never on and he is run out by substitute fielder Willey by a mile. Gurbaz is rightly livid with his captain. Big break for England and exactly the wicket they wanted. FOW 122/3

11:00 AM BST

Wicket

Rahmat st Buttler b Rashid 3  Brilliant bowling and brilliant keeping. Rashid turns one away from Rahmat and Buttler is so quick behind the stumps to whip off the bails before Rahmat can get his foot back into his crease. This is what England needed. FOW 122/2

10:58 AM BST

Live from Delhi

“It’s been a torrid day for England so far - although it’s worth saying the pitch looks an absolute belter. A relief for England is Reece Topley, who has been England’s best bowler this tournament, is set to return to the field. After injuring himself attempting a dive, Topley was assessed by the physio checking his right knee. Happily he seems OK.”

10:56 AM BST

OVER 18: AFG 122/1 (Gurbaz 80 Rahmat 3)

Good fielding on the third-man boundary from Root prevents a four. Two more to Gurbaz. He gets another couple with a slightly miscued pull to deep backward square leg. England need the wicket of Gurbaz here as he is flying. What a superb innings.

10:52 AM BST

OVER 17: AFG 115/1 (Gurbaz 75 Rahmat 1)

Rahmat comes out for his 100th ODI for Afghanistan and he gets underway second ball with a single down to long-on. This is better from England but they have a lot of hard work ahead. They need to keep taking wickets.

10:49 AM BST

Wicket

Zadran c Root b Rashid 28  Finally a breakthrough for England! That pressure does tell. Zadran tries to smash Rashid over mid-wicket but he finds Root in that position. Can England build on this wicket? FOW 114/1

10:47 AM BST

Michael Vaughan on BBC TMS

10:46 AM BST

OVER 16: AFG 111/0 (Gurbaz 74 Zadran 26)

Fortunate for Afghanistan as Gurbaz gets a glove on a ball down the leg-side that beats Topley at fine-leg for four.

Oh no! Topley looks like he has hurt himself. He immediately signals to the dressing room and is limping off with what looks like a knee injury. He has been unlucky with injuries, including missing England’s T20 World Cup success in Australia. It would be a surprise to see him back in action today and who knows for the rest of the tournament. His dad Don is in the stands and he looks concerned for his son.

10:41 AM BST

OVER 15: AFG 106/0 (Gurbaz 69 Zadran 26)

This is better, tighter bowling from England. Rashid follows up a good over from Wood with a maiden. England will be hoping that a build-up of pressure can create a breakthrough.

10:36 AM BST

OVER 14: AFG 106/0 (Gurbaz 69 Zadran 26)

Better over for England. Wood is steaming in and his latest over goes for just four runs. They need a breakthrough to stem the flow of runs. As we saw yesterday in the India vs Pakistan game, one wicket can bring a few. Pakistan lost eight wickets for 36 runs yesterday so England will know if they can get one wicket a few more could follow.

Time for drinks.

10:30 AM BST

OVER 13: AFG 102/0 (Gurbaz 67 Zadran 24)

Not only is the pitch a great batting deck, but there are also quite short boundaries and Gurbaz has taken advantage of one on the leg-side. He picks up Rashid for six over deep mid-wicket. The hundred is up for Afghanistan inside 13 overs.

10:26 AM BST

OVER 12: AFG 93/0 (Gurbaz 59 Zadran 23)

Mark Wood is now being brought on to replace Topley, who to be fair bowled reasonably well. Buttler will be hoping for a devastating spell from his speedster.

He bangs the third ball in short but Gurbaz uppercuts over third-man for six. Terrific batting from Gurbaz on what looks like a road of a pitch.

10:21 AM BST

OVER 11: AFG 86/0 (Gurbaz 52 Zadran 23)

Adil Rashid has come to replace Curran, who bowled two terrible overs before being replaced. Four fielders now allowed outside the circle. England’s problems continue as Gurbaz sweeps Rashid away to bring up a fantastic fifty off just 33 balls.

England dare I say it look a bit shell-shocked. They need to establish some control.

10:18 AM BST

OVER 10: AFG 79/0 (Gurbaz 46 Zadran 22)

That is the end of the first powerplay and what a start from Afghanistan. England have been as bad as Afghanistan have been good. Complete opposite starts for the two teams.

10:16 AM BST

Live from Delhi

“Magnificent controlled hitting from Gurbaz, justifying his standing as Afghanistan’s finest batter. England’s lengths in the Powerplay, once again, have been much too inconsistent. Chris Woakes is seen as England’s new-ball banker so his struggles are a growing concern: he now has combined figures of 11-0-95-1 in the Powerplay so far this World Cup.”

10:14 AM BST

OVER 9: AFG 75/0 (Gurbaz 46 Zadran 19)

To sum up England’s abysmal start to this match, Curran has now bowled a no-ball so a free hit is coming. England are certainly on the back-foot at the moment. Zadran flashes at the free hit and Buttler gets a glove on it to prevent it running away for four.

I tell you what, these two young Afghanistan batsmen are playing superbly. Gurbaz drills another drive through cover for four. England could have bowled better for sure, but do not take anything away from Afghanistan.

That is terrible bowling as Curran strays onto the pads and Gurbaz flicks him away for four with fine-leg inside the circle. Yet more pain for England, joy for Afghanistan. Gurbaz pulls Curran away for six over deep square-leg. What are we watching? Dross is the answer from an England perspective. Curran has come on to replace Woakes and has gone for 26 runs in two oevers.

10:08 AM BST

OVER 8: AFG 55/0 (Gurbaz 29 Zadran 17)

Another brilliant shot for four. Gurbaz times a drive through point off Topley for four. Again not a bad ball, just great batting. Tight bowling though from Topley for the rest of the over.

10:03 AM BST

OVER 7: AFG 51/0 (Gurbaz 25 Zadran 17)

Unsurprisingly Woakes has been replaced just three overs into his spell by Curran. Left-arm now from both ends. But it is the same story. Zadran drills a brilliant drive through cover for four. Not a bad ball, just a great shot. This looks a very good batting surface, as the previous two games on this ground in this tournament so far have proven.

Afghanistan bring up fifty inside seven overs. They could not have dreamt of a better start to this match.

09:58 AM BST

OVER 6: AFG 45/0 (Gurbaz 24 Zadran 12)

What a delightful shot from Zadran off the first ball of Topley’s third over. On the up he drives through cover point for four. Topley then overcorrects and sends a wide down the leg-side.

Topley drops short and Gurbaz slashes him away through point for four. Too short, too wide. It was very close to Root who should have got a hand on that. Everything about England has been poor so far; poor bowling, poor fielding.

09:54 AM BST

OVER 5: AFG 35/0 (Gurbaz 20 Zadran 7)

Woakes has gone for 21 in his first two overs. And on the second ball of his third over he tries a slower ball but it is drilled over cover for four by Gurbaz. Next ball is a repeat. Slower ball dispatched through cover point this time for four more. Woakes has no rhythm. Buttler has to take him out of the attack. Woakes has gone for 31 runs in just three overs.

09:50 AM BST

OVER 4: AFG 25/0 (Gurbaz 11 Zadran 6)

Although Woakes has struggled, Topley has again looked comfortable, like he did against Bangladesh. Just four runs from his second over of the day. How many overs will Buttler give Woakes?

09:45 AM BST

OVER 3: AFG 21/0 (Gurbaz 9 Zadran 5)

Gurbaz charges down the wicket at Woakes but he does not time at well. It lands safely just beyond the fielders in the ring on the off-side and they run through for two.

He does not mis-time this shot though. Woakes drops a bit short and Gurbaz climbs into and smashes a pull over mid-wicket for the first six of the match. This has been another sloppy start from Woakes as he strays down the leg-side for another wide. He then drops short and wide and Zadran cuts him away for four. Bairstow should have stopped that at point even though it took a slightly awkward bounce. Sloppy is an apt way to describe this start from England.

09:40 AM BST

OVER 2: AFG 7/0 (Gurbaz 1 Zadran 1)

Reece Topley opens up from the other end. He was fantastic the other day against Bangladesh where he took four wickets. He looked to have a lot more rhythm than Woakes. I think that is what you call a tidy start from the left-arm seam of Topley; a maiden over.

09:36 AM BST

Live from Delhi

“Another problem with England’s kits. This time, the front of the shirts has been sorted out - but the fonts on the back, with the players’ names on, are different. If it looks schoolboy, so was the first wall: a wide down the leg side from Chris Woakes, which Jos Buttler couldn’t take cleanly and went away for four wides.”

09:36 AM BST

OVER 1: AFG 7/0 (Gurbaz 1 Zadran 1)

Chris Woakes will open up with the ball for England. Here we go in Delhi. Two young batsmen for Afghanistan, both Gurbaz and Zadran aged just 21.

What a sloppy start from England! Woakes send it down the leg-side for a wide and Buttler cannot get hold of it and it runs away for five wides. Five runs on the board without a ball being bowled or even hitting the ball.

A few balls later Gurbaz flashes at a wide ball that flies one-bounce down to Topley at third-man. Much better line and length from Woakes for the rest of the over. Both batsmen are under way with a single each.

09:28 AM BST

Time for the game

Anthems done and we are ready for action in Delhi. England are bowling first.

09:26 AM BST

Former England bowler Steven Finn on BBC TMS

09:25 AM BST

Time for the anthems

Afghanistan up first, followed by England’s God Save the King.

09:24 AM BST

Reminder of the team news

England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley.

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

09:23 AM BST

Familiar face in Afghanistan ranks

England fans will recognise a certain member of the Afghanistan coaching staff. Former England batsman Jonathan Trott is the current Afghanistan head coach and he has been talking all about his current role and his hopes of becoming the England head coach one day.

09:19 AM BST

Afghanistan team news

09:18 AM BST

On the ground

“Morning from Delhi. England have won the toss and will bowl. They’re unchanged - which means that Ben Stokes’s wait for his first appearance in this World Cup continues. Chris Woakes has recovered from his illness, which means that David Willey’s wait for his ODI World Cup debut continues.”

09:14 AM BST

Woakes trying new things

Chris Woakes picked up two wickets in the win over Bangladesh. He has not been at his best so far in the tournament in terms of his rhythm but he is still a leader in the bowling attack. He has been talking about working on a new ball.

09:11 AM BST

The thoughts of Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi

09:11 AM BST

No Stokes

Sky Sports’ Mike Atherton, who is out in Delhi, has just said that Ben Stokes was very close to returning today. He believes had today been a crunch game, he would have played.

09:08 AM BST

The view from Jos Buttler at the toss

Team news?: 

Thoughts on the pitch?:

Key to winning today?:

09:07 AM BST

England team news

As Jos Buttler has just declared, England remain unchanged so no Ben Stokes.

09:04 AM BST

England win the toss

The coin has gone up and it falls down in the favour of England, who choose to bowl first. England captain Jos Buttler says he fancies a chase. England are unchanged from a dominant win over Bangladesh last time out. That means there is still no Ben Stokes, who was expected to return from injury today.

08:55 AM BST

Just got to keep winning

England are one from two heading into today’s game against Afghanistan in Delhi. A chastening defeat to New Zealand in Ahmedabad in the opening game of the 2023 Cricket World Cup was followed by a convincing win over Bangladesh in Dharamshala. England know they cannot afford to slip up today against an Afghanistan side that has lost their opening two fixtures to Bangladesh and India respectively.

Afghanistan’s defeat to India on Wednesday by eight wickets came at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi where today’s game is, so they should be slightly more attuned to conditions.

These two sides met at Old Trafford in 2019. Eoin Morgan blasted a magnificent hundred, England’s fastest ever in 50-over World Cups, as England strolled to victory by 150 runs. England’s total that day, 397-6, was their highest ever at a 50-over World Cup.

One of the main talking points going into this World Cup was the trend of home winners. The last three tournaments have been won by the home nation; India in 2011, Australia in 2015 and England in 2019. India were seen as favourites going into the tournament and their emphatic win over bitter rivals Pakistan yesterday made it three wins from three for the hosts.

England seamer Chris Woakes, who was part of England’s 2019 World Cup winning side, knows that familiar conditions will suit sides like India but he wants to knock them off their perch.

“It’s an incredibly tough challenge to win in India. Naturally, I think the sub-continental teams will feel more at home with the conditions.”

“That makes it extremely hard for us to knock them off their perch, so to speak. But we’ve got the squad and the players to be able to compete. People have looked at us for a while and we’ve had a little bit of a target on our back as a white-ball team, around the world.

“It’s a tough competition to win isn’t it? Especially here. But we’ll give it a good crack. We’re taking it each game as it comes. Naturally, people have got expectations of us and we’ve certainly got our own expectations of ourselves.”