Mohali: Australia pushed Pakistan out of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup at the Punjab Cricket Association I.S. Bindra Stadium after defeating them by 21 runs. It was another insipid batting performance from Pakistan with all their top order batsmen refusing to stay at the wicket to take up the challenge of chasing Australia’s total of 193 for 4 in 20 overs.
The result has transformed the India-Australia match on March 27 into a quarter-final clash.
Despite Australian skipper Steven Smith showing how to build a big total, Pakistan batsmen declined to follow it. Smith, through an unbeaten 61 off 43 balls, led the way with seven boundaries. He added 62 runs in 6.2 overs for the fourth wicket with Glenn Maxwell, who hit 30 runs off just 18 balls with three boundaries and a six.
Shane Watson accelerated the run rate through a breezy unconquered 44 off 21 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. Smith put on an unbeaten 74 runs in 6.2 overs for the sixth wicket with Watson too. These two partnerships nullified the effect of a fine spell from Wahab Riaz, who by taking two wickets, had pushed Australia to 57 for 3 in 7.2 overs.
The score was a challenging one for Pakistan batsmen, a test of their skills to bat under pressure. Unfortunately all their batsmen refused to stay at the wicket for a huge partnership. James Faulkner, bowling intelligently with his slower deliveries, took five wickets for 27 runs. And leg spinner Adam Zampa picked up two wickets at a crucial stage of the match.
Khalid Latif top scored with 46 runs for Pakistan. In the end, Shoaib Malek remained unbeaten on 40. The other two to be among runs were Umar Akmal (32) and opener Sharjeel Khan (30) — but that wasn’t enough to remain in the tournament.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Usman Khawaja, playing his first international match against his country of birth, hit Mohammad Amir through the cover for the first boundary. He also hit Mohammad Sami for two boundaries in the second over.
When it looked like Khawaja was settling down for a big score, Wahab Riaz clean bowled him for 21. Khwaja had put on 28 runs with opener Aaron Finch.
David Warner joined Finch but the pair could add only 14 runs before Wahab hit Warner’s middle stump with a 148 kmph fast delivery. Australian skipper Steven Smith walked in with his team on 42 for 2 in 5.1 overs. Pakistan introduced left-arm spinner Imad Wasim in the eighth over and he struck with the second ball of his first over. He beat Finch’s defence to rattle the stumps for 15. Two balls later, Smith swept Wasim for a boundary.
Australia at the half way mark were 77 for 3. New batsman Glenn Maxwell scored two boundaries off Shahid Afridi. Australia reached the 100 run mark in 12.1 overs when Smith got a boundary off Mohammad Sami through the vacant slip area.
Maxwell and Smith put on a 50 run partnership in just 34 balls. In the 13th over, Maxwell hit a boundary and a six, but fell in the 14th over hitting Imad high to Ahmad Shehzad at long on for 30. Maxwell and Smith added 62 runs in 6.2 overs.
With five more overs to go and Australia at 127 for 4, Shane Watson joined Smith. Pakistan reintroduced Wahab and Amir but Smith got a boundary off Amir through sloppy fielding from Latif at deep cover. Watson also hit Amir for a six over long on and also picked a boundary past backward point. Smith reached his half century in 35 balls.
Watson continued his big hitting by smashing Mohammad Sami for a six over extra cover in the 18th over. The pair put on 50 off just 29 balls. Watson scored 14 runs off the last over of the innings, which was bowled by Amir, including a mighty six over midwicket. Australia posted an impressive 193 for 4 in 20 overs.
Smith remained unbeaten on 61 off 43 balls with seven boundaries, while Watson cracked an unconquered 44 of 21 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. The pair added an unconquered 74 runs in 6.2 overs.
Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad put on 20 runs. Sharjeel hit Nathan Coulter-Nile in the second over for three boundaries but in the third over, Shezhad on one, going for a pull, top edged Josh Hazlewood to Coulter-Nile who took an easy catch behind the bowler.
Khalid Latif and Sharjeel added another 20 runs more when Sharjeel, going for a pull off Faulkner, played it on to his wicket for 30.
Umar Akmal began by hitting Watson for a six over midwicket. He also picked two boundaries off the last two balls of the same over from Watson. Latif too hit Faulkner for a six over long on. In the first 10 overs, Pakistan scored 79 for 2, two runs more than Australia had scored in the first half.
Leg spinner Adam Zampa struck in the 11th over, clean bowling Umar Akmal for 32. He had put on 45 runs in five overs with Latif.
Skipper Shahid Afridi began by hitting Maxwell for a six over long on. Pakistan’s 100 runs came in 12.4 overs, taking three balls more than Australia to reach that mark. Afridi lifted Zamba for a straight six and next ball he stepped out for another big hit but got stumped by wicketkeeper Peter Nevill for 14. Shoaib Malek too began with a six over long on like his team’s earlier batsmen. In the last five overs Pakistan needed 69 runs. Faulkner clean bowled a well-set Latif for 46 with his slower delivery in the 18th over. With the very next ball, he also had Imad Wasim — who mistimed his shot for Coulter-Nile to take an easy catch. Then Pakistan pushed themselves to a stage of needing 30 from the last six balls.
