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Australia’s streak of 34 World Cup matches unbeaten is over after a batting collapse led to a four-wicket loss to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s 6-178 with nine overs to spare in reply to Australia’s 176 all out in 46.5 overs delivers top spot in Group A to Shahid Afridi’s side while Australia finish third.
The loss means Australia will play the winner of Sunday’s India/West Indies Group B fixture in next week’s quarter-finals.
Australia lost 9-101 in their lowest completed World Cup total since 1992.
“We have to learn from that, and we have to learn from that quickly, because if we play India in Ahmedabad, then you can guarantee there’s going to be the same situations are going to pop up again, and we’ll have to handle them a whole lot better than we did today,” skipper Ricky Ponting said.
But he added: “We’ve lost one of our last 35 games, so I don’t think we’re going that bad.”
Brad Haddin (42), Michael Clarke (34) and Steve Smith (25) were the top scorers as Australia’s batting form bottomed out on the eve of the quarter-finals.
After winning the toss in hot conditions in Colombo on Saturday on a pitch playing low and slow, Australia lost Shane Watson (9) to Umar Gul’s bowling in the fifth over.
Ponting (19) edged an attempted cut shot into wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal’s gloves with the score on 75 as spinner Mohammad Hafeez celebrated.
But the skipper stood his ground and South African umpire Marais Erasmus turned the appeal down.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi called for a video review and non-striker Haddin argued with Pakistan fielders while the players waited for the decision, which was in Pakistan’s favour.
“There were no doubts about the nick, I knew I hit it,” Ponting said.
“But as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That’s the way I’ve always played the game.”
The 36-year-old Ponting’s latest failure gives him a total of 102 runs at 20.40 in the World Cup, after averaging just 16.14 in the Ashes.
Haddin was caught behind off left-armer Riaz at 3-90.
Cameron White’s lean tournament (58 at 19.33) continued when he was run out for eight and Abdul Razzaq (2-8) struck a hammer blow by bowling Clarke.
Mike Hussey (12) chipped a catch to mid-wicket with the score on 6-144 and Mitchell Johnson fell three runs later.
Gul removed tailenders Jason Krejza and Brett Lee to finish with 3-30 from 7.4 overs.
Lion-hearted Lee (4-28) struck in the third and ninth overs of Pakistan’s innings to remove Mohammad Hafeez (5) and Kamran Akmal (23).
Younus Khan (31) and Asad Shafiq added 53 for the third wicket but Lee hit back by dismissing Younus and Misbal-ul-Haq (0) caught behind in successive deliveries.
Mitchell Johnson broke through when Shafiq was caught at slip for 46 at 5-139.
The tension mounted next over as the excitable Afridi (2) was caught by Lee at long-on from spinner Jason Krejza’s bowling.
But Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 44 to guide Pakistan home with Abdul Razzaq on 20.
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