Once upon a time, Australia faced Afghanistan in World Cup contests with confidence and little apprehension. 

However, the 2023 Australian team is not underestimating their upcoming match at Wankhede Stadium. They recognize that Afghanistan poses a significant threat, despite Australia's current five-game winning streak. 

Afghanistan has also enjoyed a winning streak, defeating England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands as they strive for their first-ever semi-final berth. Their spin quartet consisting of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmad possesses the skills to challenge Australia's batting lineup. 

Additionally, Afghanistan's batting has been impressive throughout the tournament. Notably, a similar bowling attack nearly upset Australia on home soil during the 2022 T20 World Cup, primarily due to the pace duo of Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Team News

As for team news, Afghanistan has maintained a relatively stable lineup, making adjustments based on playing conditions. The conditions in Mumbai favor Naveen-ul-Haq over Noor Ahmad, especially given Naveen's previous success against Australia in the T20 World Cup. 

However, Australia's vulnerability to spin might tempt them to field all four spinners.

The expected return of Marsh and Maxwell is on the horizon, and the big question revolves around who will make way for them. Cameron Green has already acknowledged that he might have to sit out for one of them. 

Marnus Labuschagne seems a logical choice, but he has been one of Australia's top performers, particularly against spin. On the other hand, Steven Smith has struggled against offspin and legspin in the tournament and has been dealing with vertigo. 

Additionally, there are concerns about Marcus Stoinis' fitness, as he has often been rested due to his injury history. The same considerations apply to the three quick bowlers, who have had limited time to recover between matches.

The probable lineups are as follows:

Afghanistan:

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz

2. Ibrahim Zadran

3. Rahmat Shah

4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt)

5. Azmatullah Omarzai

6. Ikram Alikhil (wk)

7. Mohammad Nabi

8. Rashid Khan

9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman

10. Naveen-ul-Haq/Noor Ahmad

11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Australia:

1. David Warner

2. Travis Head

3. Mitchell Marsh

4. Steven Smith/Marnus Labuschagne

5. Josh Inglis (wk)

6. Glenn Maxwell

7. Marcus Stoinis

8. Pat Cummins (capt)

9. Mitchell Starc

10. Adam Zampa

11. Josh Hazlewood

Australia vs Afghanistan  Live Stream TV Channels

The viewers can watch Australia vs Afghanistan  Live Stream in Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3 and many other networks.

Star Sports Network India is the official broadcaster of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, it sheduled to air the tournament on Star Sports and OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.The list below is showing the broadcasters by County or Territory.

The broadcasting rights for the upcoming event are held by various networks across different territories. Here’s a consolidated view of  Australia vs Afghanistan  Live Stream TV Channels:

Afghanistan: RTA Sports and Ariana TV.

Australia: Foxtel TV, Kayo TV, and Nine Network.

Bangladesh: Gazi TV, T Sports, and BTV.

Canada: Willow TV.

Continental Europe: Yupp TV.

Caribbean Islands: ESPN.

England: Sky Sports Cricket.

Hong Kong: Astro Vinmeen HD and Yupp TV.

India: Star Sports Network and DD Sports.

Central East and North Africa: Etisalat and Starzplday.

New Zealand: Sky Sports and Sky Sports 3.

Nepal: Star Sports Network.

Pakistan: A Sports and PTV Sports.

Pacific Islands: TVWAN Action PAC.

Sri Lanka: Sirasa TV (TV1) and Star Sports Network.

South Africa: SuperSports.

South East Asia: Yupp TV.

Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSports.

Singapore: Astro Vinmeen HD.

United States: Willow TV and Willow TV Xtra.

United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket.