Dubai: Australia reached the final of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan by 5 wickets in a thrilling second semifinal of the tournament at the Dubai International Stadium, here on Thursday.
With this win, Australia will now face New Zealand in the final, scheduled to be played on Sunday.
Fantastic fifties by Mohammad Rizwan (67 off 52) and Fakhar Zaman (55 off 32) powered Pakistan to 176-4. Apart from Rizwan and Zaman, Babar Azam (39 off 34) also made valuable contributions with the bat for Pakistan while Mitchell Starc (2/38) was the most successful bowler for Australia in the second semifinal.
In reply, the vital knocks by David Warner (49 off 30), Matthew Wade (41 off 17), Marcus Stoinis (40 off 31) and Mitchell Marsh (28 off 22) helped Australia chase the target in 19 overs, with five wickets in hand.
Brief scores;
Pakistan: 176/4 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 67, Fakhar Zaman 55, Mitchell Starc 2/38)
Lost to:
Australia: 177/5 in 19 overs (David Warner 49, Matthew Wade 41, Shadab Khan 4/26)