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Matthew Wade subdues Pakistan as Australia enter T20 World Cup final
Wade and Marcus Stoinis put on an 81-run unbeaten partnership to chase down a stiff total in the second semi-final in Dubai. The Aussies will face New Zealand in the final, which will anoint a new champion
It’s a crazy format, this T20 cricket. We know it by now. And two semi-finals have showcased that. This was almost an action replay. It was New Zealand on Wednesday, pulling off a win scoring 57 in the last 18 balls. At Dubai, when all seemed lost with Australia needing 50 off the last four overs, it was Marcus Stoinis 40* (31b) and Matthew Wade 41* (17). Their stunning late surge, getting 50 runs in 18 balls, silenced the predominantly Pakistani crowd at Dubai.
It set up Australia’s final on Sunday against intensive rivals New Zealand and ensures T20 World Cup will have a new champion.
HIGHLIGHTS | WADE STARS AS AUS PIP PAK
With 50 to defend in 24 balls, Harris Rauf ran in hard, but he wasn’t aiming for yorkers. He was digging in short and Stoinis and Wade were taking a toll of them. The 17th over went for 13. Wade was using his bottom-handed and power as well as deft stroke play. He stayed calm under pressure in Hasan Ali’s 18th over as 15 more runs were off the target. In the 19th over, Shaheen Shah Afridi came on with Pakistan having to defend 22 runs.
He was creating some chances, but the pressure had been well and truly transferred by the Australians to the bowling side. Hasan Ali grassed Wade at deep mid-wicket. Wade was determined to swing Australia’s T20 fortunes decisively against the powerful Pakistanis. He lap swept Afridi for a boundary. He then sent him sailing over deep mid-wicket, and into the stands. Then came another lap-sweep, this time on one knee. Another six followed. 6-6-6.
Australia was rejoicing. Pakistan were stunned. In a span of crazy 20 minutes, another semi-finals was done, another of the fancied teams that had dominated for almost the entire duration of the match had lost. There were tears amongst the Pakistani supporting contingent. And the Australians were overjoyed in the dugout.
It didn’t begin like this when Pakistan stepped out to defend 176. Pakistan’s first-over artist Afridi began beating Dave Warner the first ball he faced. And he had a wicket off the third ball he bowled. Australia captain Aaron Finch’s struggles against the incoming delivery are no secret. With Afridi firing in a full-length delivery at pace, he stood no chance. By the time his bat came down, Afridi had begun celebrating the wicket. Off the first ball Mitchell Marsh faced, Afridi was again celebrating. This time the in-swinging yorker was going down leg. He beat Marsh again. Australia survived with the loss of a wicket. It could have been more.
Australia needed the momentum to swing quickly. Warner began swinging the blade in the fourth over. Imad Wasim was at the receiving end. With the help of a hoick over mid-wicket, a cut and pull, Warner had accumulated 17 runs. Marsh followed up by picking Harris Rauf for a swat-pull for six, then a smartly paced four to silence the Pakistani crowd with a 52-run powerplay.
Leg-spinner Shadab Khan disrupted Australia’s designs. With the asking rate demanding that Australia keep taking risks, Marsh and Steve Smith, against their style of play, had to go for big hits against the turning ball early. Both lost their wicket.
At the other end, Warner was discovering new ways to score. He lap-swept Hasan Ali, even deposited a double-bounced ball over mid-wicket like we do in gully cricket. Soon, Warner missed a cut shot off a leg-break. He didn’t seem to have hit it. But the umpire heard something, or went with the flow of the appeal. So did Warner and walked on 49. With his big wicket, Australia was behind the eight ball at 89/4. It was then down to Glenn Maxwell’s 360-degree play. It wasn’t to be for him too; he miscued a reverse-sweep on seven and Shadab had another wicket.
That’s when Stoinis and Wade joined hands to change the script.
With the bat, the Pakistan success story in this tournament had followed a script. Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan lay the foundation with solid opening stands for the middle order to get stuck into the bowling. It happened again. Rizwan kept slog sweeping, Babar continued to flick. It was also a reflection of how the Australian bowlers strayed. With eight boundary hits, including a six, together they batted through another first half of the 20 overs, well almost. Azam (39) holed out to long-on off the final ball of the 10th over, bowled by Adam Zampa. It was a launch pad all the same. Rizwan switched gears and finished with 67 (52-3 x4, 4x6).
Rizwan had Fakhar Zaman for company. Zaman had been short of runs, but knows a thing or two about embracing big matches. Australia attempted yorker length balls against him and he stood deep in the crease to whip them away. He raced to 55* in 32 balls, with four sixes and three fours, helping Pakistan post what appeared a stiff 177-run target. Until Wade intervened and Pakistan finally imploded under pressure.
