177/5 (19.0)
CR : 9.32
176/4 (20.0)
CR : 8.80
Australia won by 5 wickets
Player of the Match
Matthew Wade
41(17)
Arjun: SIX-SIX-SIX and Wade does in some style. History has repeated itself. Australia have done it. Then it was Michael Hussey, now it is Matthew Wade. Take a bow, sir. You have done something extraordinary tonight. Unbelievable scenes in Dubai as Australia pull off one of the biggest heists I've seen in this T20 World Cup. Some sad faces as well. Emotions on all the faces of the Pakistani players and their supporters.
Singh: Really, I can't believe my eyes. What a match to be a part of!! Matthew Wade has played one of the finest knocks he will ever play on a cricketing pitch.
Over 19
Australia 177/5
Matthew Wade41(17)
Marcus Stoinis40(31)
Shaheen Afridi1-35(4.0)
AUS won by 5 wickets
Arya: All of a sudden Michael Hussey reloaded and that too in a version never seen before. This has to be one of the finest innings in a run-chase ever. What a match to be part of. These are the matches where you feel blessed to be in this profession. A spare of thought for Pakistan. They played an exceptional brand of cricket all through the tournament and even today they were on top for the majority of the match. However, it is Australia who has held their nerves and crossed over the line with an over to spare.
Mathew Wade | Player of the Match: "I was constantly talking to Marcus Stoinis at the other end and was discussing what the bowlers are trying to do. Shaheen probably bowled more pace on delivery than I generally expected. When I joined Marcus, we knew we could chase this down. He found the boundaries early on and I was happy to contribute towards the end. It hasn't sunk in as I've just finished batting. I was happy to contribute for my team. I was out from the side, so I am happy to repay the faith."
Arya: Coming back to the match, it was always going to be a stiff run chase for the Aussies and they were pushed to the corner pretty early in the very first over as Shaheen Afridi bowled one of the finest first overs in the history of the game. He got Aussie skipper Aaron Finch for a golden duck and almost got Mitchell Marsh the very next delivery. He managed to survive by the barest margins and from there on it was Warner and Marsh who started taking the attack to the Pakistan bowlers and races off to 50 before the powerplay ended.
Some quick wickets in the middle overs pushed Australia to the backfoot. Shadab Khan was quite magnificent in the middle overs and bagged four wickets to unsettle the Aussies. 5 wickets with a score under 100 and Pakistan would have fancied their chances. However it was a sensational partnership between Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade which helped Australia storm their way back into the game.
Just as Babar Azam mentioned in the presentation ceremony, it was the catch of Wade in the penultimate over of Shaheen Afridi which turned out to be a big moment in the game. Hasan Ali was the culprit. However after that dropped chance, Wade was all over Shaheen Afridi as he scooped him for a massive six over fine leg, then clobbered a length delivery over deep square leg fence and then again scooped a fast one from Shaheen over the keeper's head to seal the deal for the Aussies.
Some quick wickets in the middle overs pushed Australia to the backfoot. Shadab Khan was quite magnificent in the middle overs and bagged four wickets to unsettle the Aussies. 5 wickets with a score under 100 and Pakistan would have fancied their chances. However it was a sensational partnership between Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade which helped Australia storm their way back into the game.
Just as Babar Azam mentioned in the presentation ceremony, it was the catch of Wade in the penultimate over of Shaheen Afridi which turned out to be a big moment in the game. Hasan Ali was the culprit. However after that dropped chance, Wade was all over Shaheen Afridi as he scooped him for a massive six over fine leg, then clobbered a length delivery over deep square leg fence and then again scooped a fast one from Shaheen over the keeper's head to seal the deal for the Aussies.
Babar Azam | Pakistan captain: "I think the way we started in the first half the way we planned we got there. Then the target was there for them. If we give chances to teams like Australia, they will cash in. Turning point was the catch of Hasan Ali.
New batsman would have made a difference. Bit as a player you have to be on your toes and have to grab your chances. But the way we have played the tournament I think I am very satisfied as a captain. Definitely, when you play such a big event like this on a particular day you have to come out good. We committed a few mistakes in crunch moments which cost us the game.
Definitely, the way the crowd has supported all through UAE, the team has enjoyed a lot. people in Pakistan have also supported as tirelessly and I thank them for that."
New batsman would have made a difference. Bit as a player you have to be on your toes and have to grab your chances. But the way we have played the tournament I think I am very satisfied as a captain. Definitely, when you play such a big event like this on a particular day you have to come out good. We committed a few mistakes in crunch moments which cost us the game.
Definitely, the way the crowd has supported all through UAE, the team has enjoyed a lot. people in Pakistan have also supported as tirelessly and I thank them for that."
Aaron Finch | Australia captain: "No not at any stage I believed we were through. the way Wade held his nerves was unbelievable. Just got my feet in a bit of a range. Most batsmen are vulnerable at the start. I thought we were very sloppy today but it shows the depth of our team. We need the support of all the 15 players and we have got 17 of them out there. Yeah, it was. I think teams chasing has been so successful. It's really strange. The lights come into effect and speed up the wicket. A nice toss to win. I thought losing the toss would be a fair call for me as I wanted to set up a total here."
We have had two fascinating semi-finals. What more could you ask for from a neutral's point of view. We will join again for the mega final on Sunday between neighbours Australia and New Zealand. A rematch of the 2015 fifty overs final. Who will come out triumphant? Do join us to know everything. Till then it's ta-ta and a very good night to all of you from me (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) and my fellow commentators Anurag Dasgupta, Anurag Singh and Arjun Bhalla.