Australia’s departure from the 2024 T20 World Cup has left the cricket world questioning the reasons behind their early exit. Despite winning against Bangladesh, Afghanistan secured their spot in the semifinals, and India’s victory over Australia made it clear that they needed to win to advance. However, they ultimately fell short.
One of the key factors that contributed to Australia’s downfall was their lackluster fielding. The team’s usual electric fielding was absent, and they failed to capitalize on opportunities, allowing Afghanistan to add valuable runs towards the end of the innings. Captain Mitchell Marsh himself acknowledged the team’s mistakes, which were evident even in their final league game against Scotland.
Mitchell Marsh’s tactical decision to bowl first against Afghanistan on a surface expected to slow down as the game progressed was another significant factor that worked against Australia. By doing this, he took away the threatening pace of Mitchell Starc and opted for Ashton Agar to add depth to his spinning stocks. However, this move seemed contrived, and the decision to bench Starc proved costly as Gurbaz and Ibrahim were able to add a solid base for Afghanistan.
Mitchell Marsh (Via Mitchell Marsh/Twitter)
The inability of the Australian batters to counter spin was another major reason for their loss. They struggled against spinners Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in their match against Afghanistan, and against India’s slower deliveries of Gulbadin Naib. On slow surfaces, the Australian batters never got the pace they needed to work with, and their struggles against spin continued.
In their chase against India, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh were racing along until the pitch slowed down, at which point Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel tightened the stranglehold, and Jasprit Bumrah delivered the knockout punch with a slow off-break. In the end, Australia’s lack of cohesion and unconvincing performances in the Super 8 stage cemented their exit from the tournament. The team will need to address these key issues and find the missing pieces to regain their form and become a formidable force in international cricket.
