Australia face Pakistan in the final of their tri-series that will be played at Harare in Zimbabwe on Sunday, July 8. The game will begin at 6pm AEST and you can follow it live with The Roar below.
After a brilliant start to the tournament, Australia’s performances fell away in the second half of the competition and it gave an insight as to how the team struggles in the absence of captain Aaron Finch’s batting at the top of the order.
Finch, in the first two games of this tri-series showed exemplary form with the bat, breaking his own T20I record for the highest individual score and the matches were won with consummate ease.
Then, it was followed by two back to back failures and a game was lost to Pakistan while the other went the distance against Zimbabwe, something one wouldn’t have expected given how poorly Zimbabwe’s performance had been in the series. Not to forget this was also nearly a second-string Zimbabwean side.
That said, part of the blame for Australia’s defeat at the hands of Pakistan in their previous league match could be put down to their under-par bowling performance as well, one in which their bowlers a fair amount of short balls on a surface that might have been aptly made for fuller lengths.
Pakistan had looked thoroughly outplayed in their first outing against Australia but showed their mettle as the number one team in the T20I world when they went on to crash their opposition’s party in their reverse fixture.
In doing so, they also revealed their batting isn’t as bad as it was made out to be in the first game against Australia, and applying a proper mindset to building their innings could remain a key to their chances.
Of course, that’s not to forget their bowling line-up presents a stern challenge for most batsmen around the world, including an Aussie side that will need the likes of Travis Head, Alex Caey and Glenn Maxwell to show a tad more restraint before they take on the bowling.
The contest between the Pakistani spinners and the Australian batsmen continues to remain a fascinating one.
Prediction
The team batting second could have an advantage in this game with the bowling expected to be a lot better from both sides.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this T20I in Harare from 6pm (AEST) and don’t forget to drop a comment in the section below.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I wasn't specifically targeting WA players - just assessing some of the performances that stood out
nickbrisbane
Guest
Sounds like Michael Cheika
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Don't like attack on WA players, so what if 7 out of 11 are from Perth, this not reason why we lost
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Stoinis has had a very disappointing OS tour of both England and Zimbabwe. I thought he was really emerging as a player but he seems to have gone backwards. Some very positive signs with Stanlake and Jye Richardson in the bowling supported by the ever reliable Tye. Not sure about Wildermuth - don't know much about him - his one over was awful as was Agar's. I still have serious question marks about Agar. Not much chop as a bowler or batsman or fielder. Didn't seem to care that much. Still don't understand why T20 bowlers don't bowl most of their deliveries full at middle stump. Unless the Pakistani batsmen are expert at the ramp.
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Langer pick WA players because WA best state in last 5 years, many wins and strong produce here
Krishna Singh
Roar Rookie
Go easy on Agar, he is best spinner here western australia, good package
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Pakistan fielded horribly and at one stage it looked like they would be chasing more than 200. Then they fell to 2/2 in the first over but that didn't stop Zaman from going after the bowling, and without offering any chances, he scored a 90. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik played around him with the latter finishing unbeaten till the end to win it for Pakistan. The number on team in this format continue to dictate terms. Australia finish the series poorly after starting off brilliantly. Thanks for following this live blog and I hope to be back with Australia's next series, which would be against this very team in the month of October. Ciao.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That's that, Pakistan have won by six wickets with four balls to spare! A single down the ground and then a pull to win it for the side. That's some comeback from Pakistan after being in so much bother throughout the game.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A first-ball four ends any hopes that Australia would have had of a comeback, and while Tye comes back well with just four singles from the next four balls, a couple of runs off the final ball makes it two needed from six balls. 4/182 in 19.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Just 11 more needed from 12 balls now. This should be over in a hurry.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Quicker fourth ball from Richardson after the slower one previously and Malik pulls him straight to the deep square-leg fielder. Misfielded but remains one. A well-hit slap down the ground gets Asif a couple more before he nearly finishes it off with a six!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single for Malik gets him off strike before a slower one gets picked by Asif Ali and driven for a single. 20 needed off 15.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
How much they needed that six. Shoaib Malik has cleared his front leg and dispatched Richardson over the leg-side for a maximum. 22 needed from 17.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
What a start to the over. Couple of deliveries which he tries to glide and dab for singles before attempting a smashing shot, misses. Finally gets a single off the next ball to make it 29 needed from 20. One more for Malik before Asif goes for a swipe and misses again! Just two from the over. 28 needed from 18.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Asif Ali, a hard-hitting batsman but does he have the mindset to bat under pressure? Will soon know. He's in at six.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Caught! Zaman falls to Richardson... That's so much better from Richardson but also thanks to the fact that both these batsmen decided to take it slightly easy. Off the final ball, Zaman finally mis-hits his inside-out cut over point, straight to the deep fielder and is caught. Gone for 91 off 46. Six from the over.
Reece
Guest
Couldn't agree more mate. I can see Langer being one of those coaches who persist with players even though he does bugger all consistently.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Even a schoolboy would know that the ball has a good chance of spinning away from you in the field
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Our mate Agar again having a top game. What an athlete!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Zaman's modus operandi is very simple. Give himself room to smash them when he's not hoicking them straight down the ground. The Stoinis over was going well though with just four singles from the first four balls but then two such shots result in two fours off slower ones. The second boundary, off a misfield too. 3/148 in 15.