T20 World Cup 2021: "The way Matthew Wade held his nerve was unbelievable and that partnership with Marcus Stoinis was crucial" - Aaron Finch
Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis shared a match-winning stand as Australia thumped Pakistan by five wickets in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup to set up a final date with New Zealand on Sunday.
When David Warner and Glenn Maxwell got out in successive overs, the run chase looked almost over for the Aussies. But Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade added 81 runs in just 46 balls to take Australia home with one over to spare.
The Finishers
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Captain Aaron Finch labeled Stoinis and Wade's partnership as the defining moment of the game. Speaking at the end of the game, the opener said:
"It was a great game of cricket. The way Wade held his nerve was unbelievable and that partnership with Marcus Stoinis was crucial."
Meanwhile, Australia got off to their worst start in the run chase, losing Aaron Finch in the first over. Shaheen Afridi bowled a ripper to trap the Aussie captain plumb in front. Speaking on his dismissal, the 34-year-old opener admitted that his feet got stuck early in the innings.
"I just got my feet in a tangle first up. It happens to batters early on in the innings. In T20 cricket you get some good ones every now and then. I thought we were pretty sloppy today, we dropped a couple of chances, even though they were tough ones. But what we showed today was that you need all your players, everyone in your 15 to contribute," Aaron Finch continued.
Reeling at 1/1, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh bailed the Aussie out with a 51-run stand. Pakistan made a comeback with quick wickets before the Wade-Stoinis pair won it for Australia. Matthew Wade remained unbeaten on 41 from 17 balls while Marcus Stoinis played a steady knock of 40 runs to take their side home.
The complete list of all T20 World Cup 2021 teams is available here.
"There's no dew, but the lights take effect and the wicket speeds up a bit" - Aaron Finch
Teams chasing in Dubai have won on most occasions with dew playing a significant role in the second half. However, Aaron Finch said that dew did not play any role. He said:
"It's really strange. There's no dew, but the lights take effect and the wicket speeds up a bit. I was hoping to lose the toss and put a total on the board and defend it, but it was good to chase that target down in the end."
Australia will lock horns with New Zealand in the final on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.