Pakistan will look to seal the T20I series when they take on Australia in the second T20I at Dubai tonight. Join us at 2.00am AEST for live score updates and commentary
That Pakistan won wasn’t as much a surprise as the manner of their victory.
More specifically, it was Australia’s abject batting display that stunned the fans on Wednesday. Invited to bat by Pakistan, Australia crumbled quicker than a cookie and were bowled out for 89, which now takes second place in their worst ever batting displays in this format of the game.
The Australian boat was rocked early with the dismissal of the recently returned Shane Watson and barring Dave Warner’s 22, no other batsman got more than 15.
What will be even more disheartening is that the problems continue to remain the same: batting against spin bowling.
Captain Mohammad Hafeez, nemesis-in-chief Saeed Ajmal and even debutant Raza Hasan combined to pick up six wickets for only 52 runs in their 12 overs.
Spinners aside, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir had a good workout for Pakistan as well and it was one of the better bowling displays as a team in recent times.
So much so that Shahid Afridi wasn’t missed at all. He could continue to sit out of this game if the management have even the slightest doubt about his fitness.
Australian captain George Bailey admitted that the side would find it very difficult to win the World T20 if they batted as badly as they did in the opener.
Interestingly, batting-wise this is the best that Australia can manage, as can be seen from the three changes announced for this game.
Daniel Christian, Mitchell Starc and Brad Hogg will get a game here, as they replace Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell and Xavier Doherty.
Pakistan will do well to be wary of a backlash though.
The inclusion of Starc, who had an excellent tournament in the Friends Life t20 this year, should make a difference to their bowling attack.
As should the selection of Hogg, whose ability to bowl his left-arm wrist spin will be a bigger challenge for the Pakistani batsmen.
While Watson is still feeling his way back into the side after his fitness issues, Dave Warner’s form will be a concern.
The Hussey brothers will also hope to get some runs under their belt going into the World T20. Cameron White’s return to the team yielded only a 22-ball 15 and an over of bowling too late in the innings to trouble the opposition.
alina
Guest
so is it halftime now .... im at school and i cant watch it...lol whats the score ..and let me now when the australia start batting thanks :)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
This has been an excellent game, any match that goes right to the wire in this fashion has to be! Pakistan looked to have got enough when they scored 151 but Australia challenged them well throughout thanks to 30s from Shane Watson and Dave Warner and a 27-ball 42 from the captain Bailey. Unfortunately for Australia, Pat Cummins failed to get a single off the last ball of the game to seal it after he had smacked a six off the penultimate ball. Then, Cummins conceded 12 in the Super Over to allow Pakistan to run away with the game. While it is never easy to bowl under so much pressure, Cummins did not help himself by bowling length and a silly wide in that Super Over. The loss means that Australia will go into the third game playing for pride.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Finally a yorker and that has been tapped to the covers, they run off for a single and Pakistan has won the game and the series with it! 0/12 in 1.0 over (Super Over) Pakistan win the game in Super Over and take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wide! Shocker! It is a bouncer that would be called a wide in any form of the game, and it pops way over the batsman. 0/11 in 0.5 (Super Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Goes down the track and wants to hit it over mid-off, mistimes it thanks to the slower ball, almost gets to mid-off, Hussey catches it on the bounce. They get a single, which means that they need two off the last ball! 0/10 in 0.5 (Super Over) Two needed off the last. A tie here will force a countback, team hitting higher boundaries will win it!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Short, wide and that has been smacked through point for a four! That is another bad ball from Cummins and this time it does not go unpunished. 0/9 in 0.4 (Super Over) Three more needed for a win off two.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Not the length you want to bowl, shorter, slower and should have been banished over fine-leg, gets only a feather through to the keeper on the bounce for a single. 0/5 in 0.3 (Super Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Down the ground and four! He was attempting the same shot first up, this time he connects and times it well to long-on 0/4 in 0.2 (Super Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Slower one from Cummins, surprise, surprise! Beats the batsman who was charging down. Misses. 0/0 in 0.1 (Super Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Pakistan's batsmen for the Super Over: Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq. Australia have nominated Cummins. Could they have gone in with Starc? Probably needed someone to spear them in. Umar Akmal and Razzaq have walked out.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Couple of runs off the last ball, yorker-length yet again and he has managed to carve it to deep mid-wicket for a couple of easy runs. 1/11 in 1.0 overs. (Super-Over) Pakistan need 12 to win off the Super Over!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone, caught! Warner goes for a pull off one that is pitched short and can only scoop it high to long-off, where Akmal takes it easily. 1/9 in 0.5 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shorter on the leg stump this time and he misses a pull, but called a wide. 0/9 in 0.4 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Similar length and Warner has managed to walk down the track and then flick it away to fine-leg for a four! No fine-leg in place and easily beats the short fine-leg. 0/8 in 0.4 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Another yorker on the middle, tailing in but played well to long-on for a single 0/4 in 0.3 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yorker-length yet again, a full-toss which is whipped away to deep square-leg for a couple of runs. 0/3 in 0.2 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yorker first up and it is dug out to long-off for a single 0/1 in 0.1 (Super-Over)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Hafeez is animatedly encouraging Gul. Warner and Watson are strutting out here.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Australia's batsmen: Shane Watson, Dave Warner and George Bailey. Pakistan have asked Umar Gul to bowl this one, Ajmal, as I suspected is still out with his injury.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Quick run-through of the rules, each team bats six balls and will nominate three batsmen. If the batting team losing two wickets, their Super Over ends irrespective of the number of balls remaining. One bowler will bowl the Super Over for his team. One can safely say that it will be Ajmal who will bowl for Pakistan (unless he is injured really bad!). Who will it be for Australia? Starc? Watson? Hogg?