Pakistan vs Australia Semi Final 2 Highlights, T20 World Cup 2021: Wade, Stoinis take AUS to final with 5-wicket win

This is Shivansh Gupta signing off. CIAO!

I had the time of my life bringing this live coverage to you. Thank you, Pakistan and Australia, for giving us all a match to remember. Australia vs New Zealand in the final on Sunday and just like every single game this tournament, we will be back with the live coverage.

Yours truly will bring you the live action on Sunday as well. So, please do join me as we will see the crowning of a new champion. 

Sport can cruel and sport can be unfair. Having said that, credit where due. Matthew Wade probably played the best innings of his T20I career and he under immense pressure, he tonked PAK's best pacer for 3 consecutive sixes. Gutsy but effective. And that, my dear viewers, is the power of self-belief

Ladies and gents, how many of you actually predicted for this to happen? Yes, Pakistan are infamous for inconsistency but they surely were the favourites to make the final. They kind of cricket they played in in this tournament was high-class and that's why they remained unbeaten. On the other hand, the Aussies did play impressive cricket but not as consistently as PAK.

"It was a great game of cricket. The way Matthew Wade held his nerve was outstanding, that partnership with Marcus Stoinis was crucial. I just got my feet in a tangle first up. It happens, in T20 cricket you get some good ones every now and then. I thought we were pretty sloppy today, we dropped a couple, though they were tough ones. But what we showed today was that you need all your players, everyone in your 15 to contribute. [On chasing teams winning so many games] It's really strange. There's no dew, but the lights take effect and the wicket speeds up a bit. I was hoping to lose the toss and put a total on the board and defend it, but it was good to chase that target down in the end."

A very dejected-looking Babar Azam says: "The way we started in the first half, we got the total we targeted. But we gave them too much of a chance at the end of the chase. If we had taken that catch, it might have made the difference. But the way we played this tournament, the way we gelled, I'm very satisfied as a captain. I hope we try and learn from our mistakes after this. Definitely, if we've played so well in a tournament, we'll gain confidence, and we'll continue to try and play this way. The roles we'd defined for the players, they all executed very well. The way the crowds supported us, we enjoyed it a lot as a team, as we always do, and I'm very grateful for it."

As expected, Matthew Wade is the player of the match for his unbeaten 41 off 17 balls. 4 sixes and 2 fours. He says:

Absolutely (preempted the scoops). Talking to Stoinis at the other end and tried to work out what they're doing. I got a little more pace on than expected, I probably could have used it a little bit earlier, but yeah.. glad to get a couple at the end. There wasn't a lot of chat before I went as we lost quick wickets. But when I got out there, Me and Marcus had batted together in the first game and got some momentum today. I was a bit unsure but Marcus showed me the way out. There was one short side and I was confident that if I had to target that then I could pull it off, but it got down to two-a-ball and you had to hit everything in your arc. I got a boundary away early on and then stalled for 5-6 balls, but Marcus got the boundary away and got us to a total where I was confident in the last two overs. It hasn't sunk in but probably when I sit down tonight it might sink in. I was out of the two team for 2-3 years and happy to just repay the faith."

PLEASE GIVE ME A MOMENT TO ABSORB THIS! I am literally bathing in goosebumps. This game never ceases to amaze us. These cricketers do everything they can to win a cricket match, a WC match and it's so sad to see one team lose?

INCREDIBLE GAME AS AUSTRALIA BEAT PAKISTAN BY 5 WICKETS TO REACH THE FINAL

SIX! WADE HAS JUST HIT AFRIDI FOR A SIX OVER FINE LEG! One of the most audacious shots. Under pressure, he walks across, crouches and scoops the ball over 6. INCREDIBLE!

SIX! THAT'S THE GAME! SHOULD BE THE GAME! Wade has smashed PAK's best bowler for 2 sixes on the trot under immense pressure

SIX! strays down the leg, does Afridi with off cutter, it is full and Wade flicks it over deep square leg

SIX! He scoops the ball over fine leg again and that's the game

Right! This could decide the fate of the game! Folks, stay where you are!

HOW'S THAT? NOT-OUT! PAK REVIEW! Shaheen strikes Stoinis on the pads, who looked to play across the line. Ultra-edge shows falt line.

Ball-tracker shows ball pitching outside leg. PAK lOSE THEIR REVIEW!

DROPPED! IN THE AIR AND HASAN ALI DROPS MATTHEW WADE AT DEEP MID-WICKET! This only makes Ali's night worse

AUS need 22 runs to win from 12 balls

Hasan Ali is in for his final over. Is this going to be Chris Jordan-like, game-changing over?

SIX! And now, Matthew Wade joins the party! Into the slot from Hasan Ali and Wade goes big over long on

50-RUN STAND UP BETWEEN THE TWO!

FOUR! A brilliant finish to the over as Wade puts away a half volley by flicking it behind square for 4.

WHAT AN EXCELLENT BIT OF FIELDING! He is 39 years young, is Malik. Stoinis absolutely clobbers it off the middle off the bat through deep mid-wicket and Malik slides to his left to save 2.

SIX! BUT MARCUS MAKES RAUF PAY NEXT BALL as he pulls the slower short ball into the stand over deep mid-wicket

FOUR! THAT WENT TO THE BOUNDARY LIKE A TORPEDO! JEEEZ, that power. Full and straight from Rauf and Stoinis smacks it perfectly along the ground past the bowler for 4

AUS 140-5 AFTER 17 OVERS

Is this the over Australia will target?

FOUR! YOU BET! Slower ball but full and wide outside off. Stoinis plays through the line and collects four through wide of long-off

AUS are 127/5, need 50 from 24 balls

5 OVERS TO GO. AUS are 115/5, need 62 runs to win from 30 balls.

Right then! Can Shaheen Afridi deliver the knockout blow?

FOUR! DIRECT HIT AND HE WAS GONE A LONG WAY! So much happening in this game. Stoinis takes off for a quick single. Afridi does well to run up, collect the ball and release towards the non-striker's end. The ball misses the stumps. Stoinis had given up there.

6 off the 15th over

Haris Rauf has been brought back into the attack

FOUR! Into the slot, Wade clears the front leg and with a  lot of bottom hand, smacks the ball to long on for 4.

6 off it. AUS are 109/5 after 14 overs, need 68 runs from 36 balls

4/26 in 4 overs. Best figures by a bowler in a T20 World Cup semifinal

OUT! WICKET NO.4 FOR SHADAB AND AUSTRALIA ARE FALLING LIKE A PACK OF CARDS. A full ball and Maxwell brings out the reverse sweep, however, he hits flat to sweeper cover where Haris Rauf grabs a stunning catch. he is gone for 7.

AUS are 103/5 after 13 overs | Matthew Wade is the new batter in

A second spell for Imad Wasim, who will look to run through his overs quickly and increase that required run-rate

DOT! DOT! DOT! Pressure on Stoinis 1 run!

DOT! 2 runs! Fantastic over.

AUS are 95-4 after 12 overs.

OUT! HUGE WICKET as Shadab Khan removes Warner on 49 to pick up his 3rd wicket. Coming to the wicket, Warner looks to play the googly square on the off side but he nicks it and Rizwan takes a sharp catch. 

AUS are 89/4 after 10.1 overs | Marcus Stoinis walks in to bat at no.6 

After 10 overs, AUS are 89/3 after 10 overs, need 88 from 60 balls.

SIX! “Form is temporary but class is permanent” Warner, who was out of form for almost 9-10 months, has really come to life in the tournament. He steps down and lofts the ball over long on for 6.

OUT! Shadab Khan strikes again as Smith holes out to Fakhar Zaman on 5. He miscues his slog sweep.

AUS are 77/2 after 8.3 overs | Glenn Maxwell is the next batter in