If you watched the Australia-New Zealand humdinger, you'll know that Mitchell Starc is very, very good at this. Same again: very quick, yorker-length, dipping in to smash the base of off-stump. Dare I suggest that Starc is fast challenging Lasith Malinga as the King of the Yorker?

Image source, AFP

Brad Hogg
Ex-Australia spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"I think the Afghan boys have enjoyed the chance to show their skills against the best in the world. Despite the scorebord, they've held themselves together and noone has backed away from the fast bowler. They can be very proud."

Mitchell Starc was cleaning up batsmen far better than Najibullah Zadran against New Zealand with this delivery: fast, full, inswinging yorker. Too good.

Image source, AFP

Najibullah gets away with one when he skips down the track and gets a thick outside edge past fine leg. No luck about his next shot though, charging Maxwell and hammering him into the stands over long on for a big six.

Michael Clarke has had enough of this and turns back to Mitchell Starc to torpedo this pesky partnership. Another quiet over, just a single from it.

Andrew in York: Afghan performance on a par with ours v Aus. Going to be close match with us for sure

David in Canterbury: I'm not sorry but for cricket to be a global concern, the associates need to play the test sides more often and bats need to be smaller, this is becoming ridiculous, it's not a fair contest anymore

It does seem as though Afghanistan's ambitions are focused on surviving the 50 overs, which may not make these final few overs much of a contest from an entertainment point of view. Just one from Maxwell's latest over.

Momentary excitement as James Faulkner oversteps and gives away a free hit. Afghanistan can't cash in though as Zazai smacks it straight to mid-off.

You could be forgiven for losing interest in this match, but Australia certainly haven't - David Warner puts in a phenomenal effort to haul in the ball before the rope and save a run. He can't save the next one though, as Najibullah dances down the track and drives Maxwell down the ground.

James Harris:, external Rapidly loosing interest in this World Cup. Too many big scores and nothing for the bowlers far too often.

Najibullah steals a single off Faulkner, before Zazai plays a very unconvincing stroke through third man to finally get off the mark.

The new man is Afsar Zazai. Glenn Maxwell is getting some real bite out of the surface and Zazai plays out the remaining four balls cautiously for a wicket maiden.

Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

"That would have been one of the best reviews in history if he'd got away with that one. It was clearly deflected. It's tough going here for Afghanistan."

Well, that was curious. Glenn Maxwell's golden day continues as he picks up a wicket with his second ball, enticing Mohammed Nabi into a sweep that balloons up into the air and is pouched at short fine leg.

Nabi reviews it, suggesting that he doesn't think he's hit it, but the replay shows an obvious deflection off his bat, and he's on his way back to the pavilion.

Image source, Reuters

Faulkner continues. It looks like the batsmen's plan is to play themselves in at leisure and try to bat out the 50 overs in order to improve Afghanistan's net run rate - but even that looks like a forlorn hope at the moment. One from the over.

Mitchell Johnson went the distance in Australia's last game against New Zealand, so this is a big game for him to regain his confidence. He'll rarely have the chance to bowl in a more ego-burnishing situation though - the Afghan batsmen are still reluctant to take him on. Five from the over.

James Faulkner, recalled today for the first time since a side injury, is handed the ball for the first time. He's usually a death overs specialist - then again, this is a moribund Afghanistan innings. Najibullah, it would be fair to say, does not have his eye on chasing down the target - he's happy to play out just a single from the over.

Dharmendra Ponala: , externalTo bring perspective the batsman's milestones should be considered at 75 & 150s than 50 & 100s henceforth.

The new men at the crease are Mohammed Nabi, the captain, and Najibullah Zadran. They play out a watchful over from Johnson, just two from it, but really the Associate nation are just marking time here.

Aaron Finch lives up to his name with a flying catch to get rid of Mangal. Johnson sends a short one across the batsman, who quite deliberately opens the face to run it down to third man, but he doesn't quite get it fine enough and Finch plummets to his right to snag it two-handed above his head. Sensational catch, and this innings is coming apart at the seams for Afghanistan.

Image source, AP