Pak escape with win as Aussies implode

DHAKA: In the semifinal of the 2010 ICC World T20 at St. Lucia, the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, slammed blazing fifties to take Pakistan to 191 for 6 batting first and to the doorstep of their third straight final. Then, Michael Hussey, engineered one of the great T20 heists to snatch the game out of Pakistan's hands.

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Cut to March 23, 2014, some 5228 miles south east of St. Lucia, the brothers were at it again. Kamran and Umar added 96 in 8.3 overs for the third wicket to help Pakistan to 191 for 5. But Glenn Maxwell (74, 33 balls, 7x4, 6x6) threatened another jailbreak and with Aaron Finch 65 (54 balls, 7x4, 2x6) added 118 off 65 balls for the third wicket.

However, Pakistan's variety and incisiveness in the bowling attack, especially from Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, took them to a 16-run win, helping them stay in contention of a semifinal berth.

Pakistan, who brought in leftarm-spinner Zulfiqar Babar in place of left-arm-seamer Junaid Khan, got an ideal start in the field as Babar removed Australia's two Ws, Warner and Watson in the first over.

Warner was castled for 4 and Watson was adjudged caught behind for an identical score.

But then Maxwell arrived and played the kind of knock that showed why Mumbai Indians (2013) and Kings XI Punjab (2014) shelled out more than a million dollars for him.

The big-hitting Victorian, who has modelled his game on Ricky Ponting, especially when he plays the lofted cover drive and pull, attacked the Pakistan spinners and regularly deposited them over the fence.

Shahid Afridi was swatted over square-leg and mid-wicket. Babar was lofted over extra-cover. Hafeez was slog swept over mid-wicket and square-leg. Pakistan tried to check him with pace. But Bilawal Bhatti was hit over long-on and deep midwicket and drilled through point and cover. The pacer then bowled a beamer that went for four byes as he conceded 30 runs off his first over, the eighth of the Australian innings.

Maxwell found an ideal partner in Finch. Finch, no less an attacking player himself, was happy to feed him the strike. The pair put on 100 in 51 balls as Maxwell got to his 50 in 18 balls, the fourth fastest in T20s. He was shelled at deep point by Saeed Ajmal off Umar Gul on 71, but the drop didn't prove costly as an attempted slog sweep off Afridi was pouched by Ahmed Shehzad at deep square-leg, ending the big partnership.

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Shweta Pandey

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