Three teams still remain in the hunt as the Group B in the ICC Champions Trophy nears an enthralling conclusion. South Africa and Australia top the charts with three points each to their name - courtesy of one win and one washed out contest each. On Friday, as second-placed Australia take on third-placed Afghanistan, nothing less than a win would guarantee their Champions Trophy semi-finals progression. But, the battle isn't only expected to be resolved using bat and ball, with the weather conditions in Lahore also expected to play a significant role.
The Aussies launched their tournament campaign with a theatrical win over England before their huge showdown with South Africa was abandoned due to the rain. The form has been mixed for the Afghans but they will enter their match with Australia filled with confidence after getting the better of England on Wednesday. This win came after a heavy 107-run loss to South Africa in their opening tournament fixture.
According to Accuweather, there remains about a 71% chance of rain in the city on today (Friday). In all likelihood, the Australia vs Afghanistan contest will see a stop-start match in which the chances of a full 50-over-per-side game remain slim.
A washed out contest would see both Afghanistan and Australia fetch one point each. Such a situation would see Australia automatically qualify for the semi-finals as they would have 4 points to their name. Afghanistan, however, would only mathematically remain in the race.
The Afghans have a Net Run Rate of -0.990. It would remain the same even as the team goes on to 3 points in the Group B. South Africa, with a Net Run Rate of +2.140, also have three points to their name. In case of a washout in the Afghanistan vs Australia
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