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It was deja vu for Pakistan fans as history repeated itself in the epic semi-final clash against Australia. Matthew Wade hammered three consecutive sixes to eliminate the unbeaten Pakistan and in doing so gave Pakistan fans flashbacks of another T20 World Cup semi-final that took place more than 11 years ago. In 2010 at St. Lucia, Michael Hussey also hit three sixes of Pakistan's in-form Saeed Ajmal to win it for Australia.
Pakistan who posted 176 runs in the first innings with the help of half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, were favourites to win with an in-form bowling attack. However, their unbeaten record was about to be broken as Wade geared for the knock of a lifetime. In the final two overs of the innings Australia needed 22 runs but the Hobart-born wicketkeeper-battler played to his strength and exploited Afridi's pace to hit him for three sixes in an over.
The Wade effort reminded cricket fans of Hussey’s innings when Australia needed 18 runs off the last over and an Pakistan's dependable bowler Ajmal took a beating. Mr. Cricket did the improbable by hitting the Pakistan spinner for three sixes in the final over and a boundary to end the run chase with two balls to spare. Hussey also walked in to bat at a similar stage after Australia had lost half the side and chances of a win were slim. Similarly, Wade’s unbeaten 41 off just 17 balls will also leave a scar on the Pakistan team which dominated each and every team in the Super 12 stage including the finalists New Zealand.
“I was a bit unsure but Marcus showed me the way out. There was one short side and I was confident that if I had to target that then I could pull it off, but it got down to two-a-ball and you had to hit everything in your arc. I got a boundary away early on and then stalled for 5-6 balls, but Marcus got the boundary away and got us to a total where I was confident in the last two overs,” Wade explained in the post-match presentational how he and Marcus Stoinis planned the run chase in the death overs.
