Sunil Gavaskar said Australia would be desperate to add the missing T20 World Cup crown in their cabinet. Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that Australia came into the T20I World cup after being defeated by West Indies and surprisingly by even Bangladesh by sam margins 4-1. However, the team missed several of their star players who pulled out.
Sunil Gavaskar said a stellar test awaits them against Pakistan in the semi-final. Pakistan is the only team undefeated in the tournament. Australia, on the other hand, finished second in Group 1. They won four of their five matches to seal their place in the semi-finals.
Sunil Gavaskar: Australia Would Be Desperate To Bring T20I World Cup Trophy From UAE
Australia and Pakistan will be locking horns against each other in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Thursday at the Dubai International Stadium. The winner will meet New Zealand, who beat England in the first semi-final.
“The one Cup that is missing from Cricket Australia’s Trophy cabinet is the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup and they will be desperate to bring that back from UAE.
“They have had a tough time in this format and have just not been able to click as a team despite the fact that some of their players are such dominant players in the various T20 leagues in the world, ” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“They came into this tournament on the back of some pretty ordinary performances in Bangladesh. The pitches and longer boundaries in UAE have certainly helped their bowlers and leg spinner Adam Zampa in particular and with David Warner back to his fearsome striking form they will certainly fancy their chances of bringing that elusive Cup home, ” said Sunil Gavaskar.
For Australia, all eyes will be on David Warner, who has amassed 187 runs at an average of 46.75 in this edition. Another Aussie who will have his say in the heavyweight clash is Adam Zampa (11 scalps). Only Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga (16 scalps) has taken more wickets than Australia’s x-factor spinner. Accompanying him will be the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, and Glenn Maxwell’s tricks.
“They will have to first contend in the semifinals with Pakistan who have been by far the best all-round team in the competition so far. Pakistan has played dazzling cricket and is the only team to have won all their group matches and they have hardly been stretched in doing so.
“The only game where they were almost taken the distance was against Afghanistan, but even that was settled by an awesome display of power hitting by Asif Ali that meant they eventually won that game with more than an over to spare, ” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“Pakistan has always been a mercurial side with some of the most naturally talented cricketers in the game. What has pulled them back is an excitable temperament. This time with Babar Azam leading them they are a lot calmer and a lot more game-aware team.
“There is no doubt that Babar if he keeps himself fit and motivated is going to become one of the all-time greats of the game. What he can become is also one of the greatest captains that Pakistan has produced. His reading of the game situation is brilliant and the changes that he has been making with the bowling and field placing have been unbelievably accurate, ” said Sunil Gavaskar.
“The variety he has at his disposal in bowling means that at no time is he going to be a bowler short and that for any captain is a huge plus. They need to take the early wickets for if the Finch-Warner duo gets going then it will be tough to stop the Aussies. This should be a thriller too, ” said Sunil Gavaskar.
The two sides have met 23 times in T20I cricket, with Pakistan leading the head-to-head series 13-9 (1 NR). Pakistan and Australia last faced each other in T20Is in November 2019. Aussies won the three-match series 2-0. As far as the T20 World Cup is concerned, both sides have won three matches each. Australia won by 21 runs when both teams last faced each other in the 2016 edition.
Pakistan probable playing XI
Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi.
Australia probable playing XI
David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.