Australia will look to make it two finals in a row at the World T20 when they take on West Indies on Friday for the second semi-final at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match starts 11.30 pm Australia time.
The last time Australia and West Indies met in this tournament, rain played a big role in deciding the result. West Indies battered the Aussie bowlers before Shane Watson returned the compliment.
Inclement weather stopped play after nine overs of the Australian innings, at which stage they were ahead of the West Indies. Duckworth-Lewis decided the fate of that game in Australia’s favour.
Since then, Australia dispatched their opponents in two successive Super Eights games and went down in the third match.
Chasing moderate scores against India and South Africa, Watson delivered with the bat in both matches to help Australia notch up big wins.
In match they didn’t actually have to win to make it to the semi-final, Australia lost to Pakistan by aplenty. Coincidentally, it was also the only game where Watson was dismissed early.
George Bailey denied there was any correlation between Watson’s no-show with the bat and the Australian loss. Bailey’s statement apart, calling Australia highly dependent on Watson with the bat and the ball is a no-brainer.
Michael Hussey’s batting against Pakistan assured that Australia would go through to the semi-finals without too many hiccups. With the middle-order having not been tested, his form will reassure the dressing room, but how the others go could decide the game.
The Australian bowling should remain the same. With the tracks showing signs of dying out, Xavier Doherty and Brad Hogg will be crucial against a batting line-up that loves to go hard at the ball.
Among the four semi-finalists, West Indies is the only one to have gotten there with only two wins in their five games. They won nothing in the first round, started with a victory against England in the Super Eights, before going down to Sri Lanka.
Needing a win to enter the semi-finals, they were taken to the Super Over by New Zealand but Chris Gayle batted the West Indies into the last-four stage.
It has been the case of two halves for West Indies. The batting has done its job in most games, but the bowling has leaked runs.
Gayle has been ably supported by Johnson Charles at the top, Marlon Samuels in the middle and the rest of the lower-middle order has gotten themselves that quick-fire few to get themselves into strong positions.
The bowling has been a tad iffy. Sunil Narine, after a couple of lacklustre games, came into his own against New Zealand. How the others bowl around him is a question-mark.
West Indies will look to go into the game with two spinners, Samuel Badree will support Narine. Marlon Samuels bowled with a lot of pace last game and might want to slow it down against a side that relishes speed.
Australia enter the game as favourites.
Action begins midnight and we will bring you the live coverage of the match.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Chris Gayle is the man-of-the-match rather expectedly. That is it then for Australia, they have crashed out of the World T20 2012, and this one trophy continues to elude them. West Indies will play Sri Lanka in the final of the tournament on Sunday in what should be an excellent game. That's it from me, it has been a pleasure bringing you this.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! Gone, Rampaul has sent Doherty on his way, and that is the end of the game. West Indies have won it as comprehensively as one could imagine in a World T20 semi-final. In doing so they have entered their first World Cup final since 1979! Whoa!
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Four! A four over mid-off for Doherty, as Narine flights it a tad more in search of his third wicket. 9/127 in 16.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! Hogg's stay in the tournament is over, stumped off Narine. Will we see more of him in international cricket? 9/121 in 15.1
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! That is the end of that then I daresay. Cummins had to go for it against the medium-pacers but this time the slog gets a toe-end of the bat and it lobs up for the mid-off fielder to take a simple one. 8/111 in 13.3
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! They had to throw their bats at everything and this time Bailey finds a fielder. He slogs it away but straight to deep mid-wicket, where it is caught this time. Gone for 63 off 29! 7/111 in the 14th.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
SIX! Swing of the bat and up she goes over mid-wicket for a six. Bailey continues to make merry, when will the West Indies consider this to be getting into dangerous territories? 6/102 in the 13th
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Half-century! That's Bailey for you, gets to his fifty off only 23 balls. On another day, it would have earned him plaudits around. Have a feeling it may not do so tonight. 6/91 in 11.2
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Four! And now a four for Cummins, on his pads and flicked away to the vacant fine-leg region! Suddenly Australia have gotten themselves to 6/89 in 11 overs. West Indies are not yet in any danger of losing it but something to think about for the Windies. 6/89 in 11.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
SIX! Oh Bailey! Look out in the crowds! It was a length ball and Bailey's blasted it over mid-wicket for a biggie! 6/84 in the 11th, can they eke out some respectability from this?
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Four! And again, only this time he should have been caught! The fielder at long-off ran in and the ball went through his hands for a four!
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
SIX! Four! Andre Russell is greeted to the bowling crease with two successive boundaries! Suddenly Bailey's turning it on for the Aussies, hitting both of them over the bowler's head for a six and a four! 6/74 in the 11th.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
SIX! Aah there still is fight in the captain, who slogs it over mid-wicket for a six. Badree's bowling his fourth. 6/61 in the 10th.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Change in bowling here. For some reason, Narine is off and Badree has been recalled. 6/53 in 9.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Four! Aah a boundary off the bat of Bailey. We still have hope. Not. 6/49 in 8.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! Goes for the sweep and goes to the pavillion. Wade lasts less than half a dozen deliveries before getting a top-edge to short fine-leg. Easy catch to the fielder and Australia are 6/43. This is getting shockingly easy.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
OUT! Another one goes and Australia are in a hurry to catch that flight back home. Leading edge from Hussey, playing his first game this tournament and Rampaul takes an easy catch. Five down with only 42 on board. Two wickets for the bowler.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Change in bowling but no change in luck. Australia lose their fourth as Cameron White nicks one down the leg-side to Ravi Rampaul. This is fast losing its fizz, the semi-final and Bailey might not have an answer to the pesky question - are the Aussies over-dependent on Shane Watson. Unless, of course, the captain can himself do something miraculous. 4/42 in the seventh.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Four! Four! Two fours in a row off Samuels! The first one was pitched up to the bat to Bailey and drove hard to the left of mid-off. The second one was understandably shorter and he spanked it over the same fielder and it goes away for another four. 3/42 in 6.
IWishIWasMarkWaugh
Roar Guru
Three runs and a wicket off the Badree over. He has figures of 2/16 in three overs. 3/31 in 5.