ICC T20 World Cup 2016: Australia vs Pakistan - 5 Talking Points
The focus shifted to the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali where teams belonging to Group 2 of the Super 10 arrived in a bid to seal the only place available for the semi-finals. While Pakistan faced a do or die situation, the Australians were also under pressure to bolster their chances.
Pakistan had come into the massive match with a loss against New Zealand at the same venue which also threatened to destabilize their camp. Amidst all the chatter coming out from the group, Shahid Afridi had also announced that he could finally retire at the end of the tournament.
After a loss to the Kiwis in Dharamsala, Australia brought their campaign back on track by just scraping past Bangladesh, With Shane Watson also calling it a day following the competition, Steve Smith had a tough task on his hands.
However, he won the toss and decided to set a target which could have stemmed from Pakistan’s recent chasing woes. Smith and Watson joined hands and helped the Aussies to a powerful score which eventually proved too much for the Pakistani batsmen to handle. Let us take a look at the five most memorable moments in chronological order.
#1 – Wahab continues the Pakistani tradition
Wahab Riaz is something of an enigma in Pakistani cricket. Capable of unsettling any batsman with a combination of aggression and relentlessness, the 30-year old could be a dangerous proposition.
However, his strength might also work against him by leakage of runs during vital moments. At Mohali, the Wahab whom the cricket world likes to watch turned up as Australia struggled against his raw pace.
He dismissed Usman Khawaja and David Warner in successive overs to help his team comeback into the proceedings. Operating around 147-148 KPH, Riaz breached their defenses with fuller deliveries to castle the stumps.
Even though he conceded some runs at the death-overs, Wahab had once again delighted the spectators in his brief spell.