November 11: Australia run into red hot team Pakistan in the second Semifinals at the Dubai Cricket Stadium and face an acid test against a team which has not lost a single game in UAE in their last 16 games. The last time Pakistan lost was way back in November 2015 that too in a super over.
Moreover, Pakistan is the only team which won all their five games in the Super 12 stage, and all their players have shown the form, be it batting, bowling, and most importantly, fielding, where they have shown terrific improvement. Pakistan first thrashed India by ten wickets in their first game and took the monkey of their back after winning against rivals for the first time in a World Cup game. They then overcame New Zealand and Afghanistan thanks to some great hitting by Asif Ali, in whom they found a finisher which had eluded them for a long time. Moreover, the good form of their openers in captain Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan has set the platform for the experienced players like Mohammed Hafeez and Shoaib Malik to give the right push in the middle overs. Their bowling, too, has looked very good, with young Shaheen Shah Afridi leading the pack along with speedster Haris Rauf who have both shown great temperament and skills in both the opening overs as well as bowling at the death. Their Spinners, too Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim, have bowled tidily and have not allowed any of the batsman to go after them.
The only thing in Australia’s favor is that they have never lost to Pakistan in a knockout game in an ICC event and beaten the Asian Giant all the four times, most noticeably the 2010 T20 World Cup semifinals in West Indies when Michael Hussey snatched Victory from the Jaws of defeat by scoring 60 of 24 balls to chase down the target of 191. Australia too, has peaked at the right time with David Warner and Mitchell Marsh striking form, but if Pakistan get into the middle order of Australia as they did against India, it will test the Aussie skill in this crucial knock out game.
Australia, when they last toured UAE in 2018/19 had lost 3/0 to Pakistan in the three T20’s. Can Australia get past the inform Pakistan team in Dubai tomorrow, arguably the team to beat in this tournament, only time will tell, but current form and conditions favor Pakistan.
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