Australia start favourites to overwhelm Pakistan in their 2015 World Cup quarter-final but their mercurial opponents will look to derive a slice of the X-factor from their four successive wins leading up to their game. You can follow the live blog of this game from 2:30pm (AEDT) and post your comments below.
The start-stop nature of Australia’s run to their quarter-final, the distraction over Michael Clarke’s fitness and a bit of doubt over their playing XI are some of the reasons why Pakistan fans will believe Australia is beatable on their day.
On the other hand, they will also take heart from the way their team has played. Pakistan, who had begun the tournament with successive defeats against India and West Indies – and crushing ones at that – have made a miraculous recovery from there and strung together four successive wins. And for a major part, it’s been their bowlers who have led them to those wins.
It has almost seemed like the Pakistan of old, that from the 1992 World Cup was back and roaring during those previous matches, which included a win over South Africa as well. Of course, their real test will begin now when they take on the favourites and hosts Australia in this knock-out game.
Since their defeat to New Zealand, Australia have regrouped reasonably well, although a rain-affected game against Scotland threatened to make life difficult for them. Had they split points with their opponents in that game because of the weather, Australia would have been playing a lot tougher quarter-final against South Africa.
The rain relented and they finished off the game very quickly after that.
What was interesting about that match was the amount of criticism that Michael Clarke got for getting himself to open the innings instead of pushing the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell to make a dash for it knowing what the weather was like.
Before the World Cup started, there were talks of how Clarke’s conditional selection will make for a big distraction for the side. On-field performances have not given that indication over the previous few wins but what’s definitely changed is that the captain’s detractors have found a stronger voice.
In a strange sort of a way, that has manifested itself into a negative view about their own team’s chances in this game. The official Cricket Australia news site has had a poll running where about 45% of the people have called it a Pakistan win and while it’s not known how many of those are Pakistanis, there is a fair chance that a lot of them are Australian voters.
Pakistan have lost one of their main fast bowlers, Mohammad Irfan, to injury and went in with a fast bowling quartet of Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz for their must-win Ireland game. Whether they repeat the same against Australia could be dependent on how the pitch is expected to behave.
There will be a big temptation from Pakistan to bring in leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who has played just a single match this competition so far. He has a brilliant record in a couple of Tests he played against the Aussies late last year but a lot could be pitch-dependent.
There have been talks of the Adelaide track being green for this game but it will be interesting to see how that comes about on the morning of the game.
Australia’s playing XI has a question-mark too – who do they play as their third seamer, Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins. It’s been tough to decide on that but if the grass does not get shaved off, Hazlewood’s movement off the seam could become a factor.
Follow the live scores and blog of this Australia vs Pakistan World Cup 2015 encounter from 2:30pm AEDT on Friday and post your comments in the section below.
Al
Guest
Someone mentioned that Finch's spot may be under threat, so that got him thinking - "what's the easiest way to stay in the side while not performing?". And then it came to him - channel Watto. While channeling the spirit of Watto, Finch stepped across his stumps, planted his front foot, played across the line and had the ball slam into his front pad; all he could hear was the little Watto on his shoulder saying "Definitely leg side, or maybe too high, or maybe he over-stepped. Maybe they had too many players behind square on the leg side. Better check! Review!"
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Missed watching the match but kept updated with scores. Watched video of Wahab's bowling this morning...wow. Should we have moved Watson down the order years ago...? Without opening pair firing Aussies still haven't been really tested in the tournament apart from New Zealand. No close game experience during the tournament yet...
Renegade
Guest
We were on track to chase down 350..... That was anything but average
taylorman
Roar Guru
Your comments 'exactly' describe average.
Sandy
Guest
That's brilliant.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
If Australia had been able to bat out their 50 overs they were set for 350+ and a very strong chance of making 400. Their opponents were dismissed for 216.
raz
Guest
Warner and finch will go cheaply against india. Steve smith and clarke are the ones ,india needs to look out for.
AJ
Guest
Banana skin. Trod upon and countered. Watto stood up and made em pay for the dropped catch. The knockers will still be there....no doubt they are legends who will think him lucky. Know all know NOTHINGS. Only a top quality batsman could've seen that spell off tonight.
AR
Guest
Superb from Watson. In the face of a brutal and technically excellent spell of bodyine bowling, he dug in, stayed, and steered Australia to victory. He'll always have his critics, but he was great tonight.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
So many people trying to sell this as a close match. Regardless of all the "what ifs"... Australia won by six wickets with a whopping 17 overs left and the next two batsmen in average 33 and 44 respectively, while their number 9 has a Test ton and number 10 has a Test 99. Major positives from this match is that, after Starc shouldering a big load, Hazlewood and Johnson flourished, meanwhile Watson had another confidence-boosting knock and we know that, on song, he is an absolute juggernaut.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Apart from our opening batsmen struggling how was this an average performance ? We bowled well, fielded well and 3 of our batsmen played very well. Sure Wato was lucky but he went on with it. This game was always going to be very tricky, in the end despite a couple of wobbles Australia put in a pretty good performance for a good win. They will need to be very good to beat India.
Lea
Guest
He won numpty of the match hands down, if that helps.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Wahab was completely justified in running at, and yelling at, the Australian batsmen after his deliveries because of the boorish, disgraceful way in which the Australians were batting. Some of Maxwell's strokes were patently racist while Watson's refusal to be dismissed was a classic example of woeful disrespect for the opposition. How many more innocents have to die in torturous circumstances before we hold to task the Australian cricket team?!
MACDUB
Guest
Pakistan win 100% of games when they score more runs than the other team. Telling stat that!
taylorman
Roar Guru
Pretty average really. Shows anyone can win this still. Any of the four remaining sides could have taken oz on that performance, but low scoring matches continue to be a feature of this tournament despite the plethora of runs being scored in some matches. It's almost like we get one or the other...a 70-80 for 3 type start has been common, yet so has a 200 for 2 or 3 so bowling attacks certainly have their place this tournament, perhaps more so with the pressure on.
Johnno
Guest
I know his figures didn't flatter, and were misleading stats if ever there was one, but my heart wanted to give that man of the match award to Riaz, his bowling under pressure was outstanding, the great west indies bowlers would of been proud of that effort, desperately unlucky.
Fight fair.
Guest
Just as well that wasn't an Austrailian quick running down the pitch to confront the batsmen after nearly taking his head off with a bouncer. That would have bought the game into disrepute !
Worlds Biggest
Guest
It could be Ronan but I've got little faith in Finch at the moment, he looks a shot duck and under pressure, that was a poor review and Warner should have told him to walk. At least Warner is getting starts but obviously not going on with it. Our opening pair are the Achilles heel.
Craig Watson
Guest
Another classy knock by our rock Steve Smith. It could have been curtains when Pup went and had Watson not survived a simple chance. But Smith held the side together like he has done all Summer. Watto gutsed it out. and flourished in the end hitting the winning runs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Excellent mate, let me know if you jump in early to the ground and we can probably meet up. I should be there from about 1130-12 onward.