Humiliating defeat leaves England's defence in peril as big guns lie in wait

WHEN this tournament is over and this match is writ prominently in the annals of World Cup history, as it was destined to be the moment Rashid Khan bowled Mark Wood to confirm the most famous victory of Afghanistan’s remarkable cricketing tale, England’s part in the piece will be secondary.

- Malik Ouzia

That Chris Woakes and Sam Curran combined to leak 87 runs in just eight wicketless overs will get barely a mention compared to the six wickets Khan shared with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Afghanistan’s other outstanding spinner.

No ink will be wasted on Jonny Bairstow’s grievance at a marginal lbw decision, nor the manner in which most of England’s line-up shrank from the moment the opener fell to the seventh ball of the chase, when there is so much to tell of 21-year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz and his coming of age innings of 80 from just 57 balls.

And it will seem an irrelevance to even note that the contest started with Jos Buttler’s blunder in electing to field, when it ended with such an underdog triumph, only Afghanistan’s second in World Cups.