Australia ride T20's undulations to record a dramatic and memorable semi-final win

AADAM PATEL IN DUBAI: Any premature celebrations did not take into account Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade. Somehow, just like New Zealand 24 hours earlier, they finished the job with an over to spare

Dubai: Pakistan 176-4, Australia 177-5 - Australia won by five wickets

Scorecard

In 2010 in St Lucia, it was Michael Hussey who broke Pakistani hearts

Mr Cricket saved Australia at the last, striking three sixes in the final over to take Australia to the World Cup final.

Eleven years on in Dubai, it was the turn of Matthew Wade to brutally end the Pakistani dream.

1987 in Lahore, 1999 at Headingley, 2010 in St Lucia, 2015 in Adelaide: Pakistan had never beaten Australia in a knockout match at any World Cup. Buoyed by a partisan crowd under the lights in the UAE, for much of this game it appeared that the jinx was about to be ended.

They asked Australia to pull off the highest chase of the tournament by setting a target of 177, and when Shadab Khan picked up his fourth wicket in as many overs to remove Glenn Maxwell, Australia still needed 81 off 46 deliveries.

Any premature celebrations, however, did not take into account Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade. Somehow, just like New Zealand 24 hours earlier, they finished the job with an over to spare. 

Ten out of the 11 games in Dubai in this tournament prior to the semi-final far had been won by the chasing side, but Pakistan were the only unbeaten team in the tournament and with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam up front with the bat - a partnership averaging 85 in this competition - it was easy to dismiss such statistics.

Roared on by a sea of green in the desert, this match might as well have been taking place in Karachi or Rawalpindi. Everything but the toss was stacked against Australia. 

The pair got about their business, racing to 47 without loss by the end of powerplay, Babar playing with class and elegance. 

^{Australia beat Pakistan to reach the T20 World Cup final}

At the other end, Rizwan, coming into the game after two nights in hospital with a chest infection, was living a somewhat charmed life. He was dropped after a sensational diving effort from David Warner running back from mid-off, before Adam Zampa nearly pulled off a screamer at fine leg. 

And Rizwan made sure to make his luck count. He picked up a back of a length delivery from Josh Hazlewood for the first six of the evening smiled it off a blow to the helmet courtesy of Mitchell Starc to clear the ropes threee more times on his way to 67. It was a fighting knock.

The imperious opening pair had set a platform yet again. Australia desperately needed a breakthrough and it came through the leg-spin of Adam Zampa. His first 11 balls went for just seven runs and with the 12th he struck, tempting a frustrated Babar with a tossed up delivery. Babar picked out Warner at long-on and Warner made no mistake, letting out an almighty roar. 

For the first time, the ground was silenced. But only for a moment, as soon Fakhar Zaman stepped into the role of cheerleader, teeing off for 55 from 32 balls. Three of his four sixes came off the bowling of Starc and, at the interval, Pakistan knew that Australia would have to pull off the highest chase of the tournament if they wanted to spoil the party.

Enter Shaheen Shah Afridi. David Warner and Aaron Finch would have known all about what to expect from Shaheen. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul knew too, but neither of them could do anything. Knowing is not enough. 

Shaheen started off to Warner with a beautiful delivery that shaped away. Warner went searching. The second was full at the stumps and, this time, Warner managed to get bat on ball.

Finch wasn’t so lucky. He was greeted with a devastating inswinger first up, trapping him in front. Shaheen wheeled away, Finch started walking before the umpire could even raise a finger.

Mitchell Marsh entered the cauldron and the noise around the Dubai stadium ratcheted up once again. Collectively, Pakistan had sensed cricketing blood. Marsh was welcomed with an unplayable yorker, crushing into his toe and it felt inevitable Marsh would be sent on his way. But no. The review saved Marsh on umpire’s call and he was met with another ripper that beat the inside edge.

^{Mohammad Rizwan's half-century was in vain for Pakistan}

Such is the ebb and flow of this format - and yes, T20 does have undulations - that for all of Pakistan’s electrifying start, Warner and Marsh shifted the pressure back on Pakistan. Warner went six, four, four in Imad Wasim’s second over, including a monster strike over deep midwicket, before Marsh welcomed Haris Rauf by crunching him for six more. At 51 for 1, it was Australia’s powerplay. 

Step forward Shadab, getting Marsh with his second delivery and Steve Smith in his second over. At the halfway mark, Australia sat at 89 for 3 but Warner was gone first ball after drinks for a belligerent 49, despite ultra-edge showing that he’d completely missed the ball.

When Maxwell was caught attempting to reverse sweep Shadab, Pakistan had control. Shadab finished with 4 for 26 - the best figures by anyone in a T20 World Cup semi-final.

But given the events of the previous night, there was always a lingering sense of fragility about Pakistan's presumed dominance. For New Zealand, it was Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham who threw the game on its head. For Australia, it was Stoinis and Wade.

Sixty-two off 30 became 50 off 24 and, when Stoinis took Haris Rauf for 13 in the 17th, the chase was well and truly on. 

For all the talk about Shaheen and his first over, ultimately it would be his last that would seal Pakistan's fate. With 22 needed off the final two, Babar called for his prized asset.

Pakistan needed a wicket and in the most brutal of circumstances, Hasan Ali dropped Wade in the deep.

Wade took the chance with a display of immense courage and phenomenal execution as he scooped and smashed Shaheen out of the park off the next three deliveries to send Australia on their way. 

This is a tournament that has saved its very best for the last. 

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