Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh has declared that the team will bounce back strongly from their surprising loss to Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eights. He believes the team thrives under pressure and will bring their A-game to their crucial clash against India on Monday.
The 21-run defeat to Afghanistan, a first-ever loss to them in international cricket, has put Australia’s semi-final hopes in jeopardy. They now face a must-win situation against India and require a strong Net Run Rate to secure a spot in the last four.
“It’s a big game, it will be against India obviously and it’s a must-win game. I think if you look back at the short history of this team, I know for a fact that it brings out the best in our guys. So, the boys will certainly be up and about for it,” Marsh stated at the post-match press conference.
Marsh attributed the loss to an “off” day, emphasizing the team’s inherent strength and their commitment to bounce back. “First things first, recover. We have a lot of belief in our group. We are a very good cricket team. Yes, tonight we had an off night but I guess there’s also a positive in the fact that in 36 hours we go again.”
He acknowledged Afghanistan’s impressive performance and their rise as a formidable force in world cricket. “I mean first things first. I thought Afghanistan were really good and they outplayed us and they deserved to win that game. “There’s a lot of things you can look at, the reality is there’re small margins here. When the scores are low, we had an off-one in the field. But yeah, got to give credit where credit is due and Afghanistan was pretty good.”
Marsh highlighted Afghanistan’s progress, emphasizing their consistent improvement and their growing threat in international cricket. “Obviously, they’re a good side. And they’re not an Associate nation, they’re a very good cricket team who play against the best all the time and they have improved a hell of a lot over the last few years. “We know certainly in these conditions that they are a big danger team. Like I said before, they outplayed us tonight and credit to them.”
Australia’s fielding was particularly below par, with several dropped catches against Afghanistan. Marsh admitted the team’s performance was disappointing but assured that they are committed to improving their fielding. “Look I think we don’t want too many off nights in the field but I also believe that at our best we’re an unbelievable fielding side. So, it’s easy to look at tonight and yes it was disappointing but ultimately, we have 36 hours to turn it around and I still believe that our best is very good in the field. “We certainly pride ourselves on our fielding. Can’t question the boys putting in the work. I think it’s no different to any other skill set. “We put in the work, we didn’t execute in the field tonight and ultimately it played a part in us losing the game.”
