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Follow Wisden’s match blog for Pakistan v Australia T20 World Cup 2021 live coverage – we’ve got live updates from Dubai, including commentary and score, along with where to watch details: TV channels, broadcast and live streaming for the Pak vs Aus match.

Pakistan vs Australia: Live Scorecard, Prediction, and Stats

The game so far: Rizwan, Zaman carry Pakistan to 176

Pakistan v Australia: Live score and updates

Australia win by five wickets! Wade, the hero!

Wade smacks the second-last ball of the over for a six. Surely that’s it? And he finishes it off with another ramp over the keeper.

Plenty of drama in this over. Wade smacks Afridi to the leg-side, but Hasan Ali runs in and spills it. Next ball, Wade swivels and paddles it over the keeper’s head for six. Ridiculous.

Close call for an LBW, but Stoinis survives. 20 needed off 10. Which way are we going?

Over 18, Australia 155-5, Wade, Stoinis keep Australia in the hunt

This is really going down to the wire. It’s all up to Shaheen Afridi now.

A string of boundary-less balls had pulled Australia back, that’s when Matthew Wade struck a meaty blow over long-on, keeping Australia in the hunt. He followed it with a flick past long-leg to keep them in the hunt.

37 required off the last three. We have another thrilling end to a semi-final in front of us.

Stoinis is playing a nice little cameo here – can he be Australia’s miracle man?

Top, top effort by 39-year-old Shoaib Malik at the boundary ropes, diving to save a certain boundary, but Stoinis gets his groove soon after, clanking a six over deep midwicket. He follows it with a crisp drive down the ground.

Hasan Ali bowls another tight over, sending in yorkers and length balls with a subtle change of pace. They now need 50 off the last four. Only a miracle could save them here.

Over 15, Australia 115-5, Time for Wade-Stoinis to go all out

What an atmosphere here in Dubai right now. The crowd is firmly behind Pakistan here, with chants of ‘Af-ri-di, Af-ri-di‘ doing the rounds. Stoinis and Wade are being tested by an Afridi special, who’s really put a big thorn on the side of the batting team, complicating their hopes even further.

68 required off the last six. This could be a bridge too big to cross for Australia now.

A comment on Shadab’s spell, pure class. He was brought on to dry the flow of runs and create pressure, and he did that and more, snaring four big wickets to really derail this Australia chase. Haris Rauf is back – great time to bring him on. He can really run through the rest with the pressure on.

Maxwell is gone! Australia in deep, deep trouble here… Shadab has really turned things around here.

Over 12, Australia 95-4, Maxwell, Stoinis struggle for momentum

Imad Wasim has pressed on the breaks here, tying Australia in knots. The net run rate has now climbed to 10.25 (it was at 8.5)

Replays show he actually did not edge the ball… Oh, dear. They had their reviews remaining.

–– Potentially game-changing wicket alert ––

Warner is gone, after really carrying the first half of the innings for Australia. Shadab Khan with the big, big breakthrough, right after the break. Stoinis and Maxwell now – can they pull this off?

88 needed in 60 balls.

At the ten-over mark, Pakistan were 72-1. Australia are 89-3. They’ve been pegged back by crucial blows, but have done really well to not let the run-rate drop here. Warner has been at the centre of that recovery, but Maxwell could give them the right burst at the right time.

97 required off 66. This is really Maxwell’s territory. With Warner going great guns at the other end, the game is far from done.

Over 8.3, Australia 77-3, Smith is gone!

Oh dear, Smith has perished. He really didn’t need to go at Shadab right after Warner had hit him for a six. It’s a long walk back for him. You can sense the disappointment on his face. In walks Maxi.

Over 8, Australia 70-2, Warner continues his march

Hafeez starts with a rather bizarre no-ball, which slips out of his hand and bounces twice before Warner runs to it and smacks it into oblivion. He’s really getting into some sort of a rhythm here.

Update! Marsh is gone. Oh, and it’s worked instantly. Marsh tries to take him on (you don’t take him on right away in the form he is in right now), and he skies one down the throat of mid-wicket. In comes Steve Smith. This could be a big game for him.

With 52 conceded in the first six, Pakistan bring in Shadab Khan.

Over 5, Australia 44-1 – Aussies make quick recovery

These two have since done well to keep the runs flowing, looking to target the other quicks. Haris concedes 14 off his first over. Maybe, just maybe, Imad Wasim continuing would have been a better idea.

Update: So, Australia have been rocked by a Shaheen special, and although he’s got only one wicket so far, he’s really pushed the Aussies on the backfoot. Warner and Marsh have looked good since.

Haris Rauf is in, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Against these two, he could be expensive, given how these two love pace on the bat.

Over 3, Australia 14-1, Warner, Marsh look to recover from initial blast

Another top, top over from Shaheen, with a bit of change of pace in the middle too. Warner and Marsh are really being tested here, lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd as they try to make sense of a testing spell.

Spin from the other end. They’re really testing the top order here.

Over 1, Australia 1-1, Shaheen is at it again!

Okay, wait. Give me some time to describe this over. Shaheen has torn through Australia like a bullet – Finch is gone, Marsh survives, but just. Tice. He’s breathing fire here.

Shaheen is on a roll right away!

We’re back.

Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back in ten minutes with the chase.

Innings break! Pakistan 176-4 (20)

Zaman, you beauty! Australia looked to be making a late comeback here. With Cummins’ three-run penultimate over, and Zaman losing partners in a hurry, it looked like they’ll struggle to reach 165. But here comes Zaman, putting on his six-hitting gear right at the end, and pummels Starc for back-to-back sixes, taking them past 175!

161-3, with one over left. 

Top, top over from Cummins here. Just give away three.

Another dropped catch! And it’s Steve Smith, who drops a sitter. You really don’t expect him, of all people, to let one go. Australia have put down quite a few of these. Zaman’s late assault could take them close to 170.

Over 18, Pakistan 158-2, Zaman accelerates

My my, Zaman is peaking at the right time! He almost took the umpire’s head off with a vicious hit, after smacking one deep over wideish long-on. Starc’s figures get a bit of a beating there, and his method to bowl full isn’t working against the left-hander, who is standing well inside his crease.

Over 17.2, Pakistan 143-2 – Rizwan falls after key knock

Some might point at the strike-rate (he ended at 128), but Rizwan has done really well here, helping steer Pakistan towards 160-165. Hitman Asif Ali is in next.

Rizwan is playing a solo classic here, helped along by some erratic bowling by the Aussies. Hazlewood’s free-hit is punished to pulp, as he swats one to deep mid-wicket.

122-1 with four overs to go. 160-165 could be a good score here, but even that will take some hitting. Time for Zaman to really get going.

Mind you, Australia have kept back Starc for later – he’s still got two overs to go. Those two overs at the end could go a long way in defining the difference between, say 150 and 160.

It’s been a dream year for Rizwan, and it’s only getting better…

Update: Fifty for Rizwan! He’s done so well to shrug off a scratchy start, and has been particularly good in the area around mid-wicket. Hazlewood has been a touch expensive in his first three, not really hitting the right lengths tonight.

Over 12, Pakistan 89-1, Rizwan picks up momentum

Quite an eventful over for Pakistan, they get 14 runs from it, including a humungous six over cow corner by a helmetless Rizwan. Right below us in the press box, chants of ‘Pakistan, Pakistan!’ are doing the rounds.

Fakhar Zaman has been under some pressure of late – his scores in this tournament read 11, 30, 5 and 8. With nine overs to go, this could really be the platform for him to build on a good score, especially with Rizwan already set at the other end.

Over 10, Pakistan 71-1 – Babar falls after solid start

And, Zampa strikes! Something had to cave, and it’s Babar who perishes, looking to take on Zampa. It was kind of expected that one of these two will take on the spinner, although it’s a pity Babar has fallen here – he was looking so good.

Update: Babar continues to show his class, and Rizwan is slowly getting his own groove. Babar just pierced the space between long-on and mid-wicket in such beautiful fashion, and then followed it with a classy cover drive. I can watch him bat all day, and more.

Zampa holds the key here. I think he could break this stand soon. 

Over 7: Pakistan 50-0 – Rizwan survives again, openers continue to build

Another half a chance! Pakistan are living dangerously, even though they are going for their strokes. Australia bring in more spin with Adam Zampa. He dropped (that’s a harsh word) Rizwan in the previous offer  – it’s now twice he’s survived – but the two continue to build on.

Over 5, Pakistan 38-0 – Babar, Rizwan start steadily

There’s so much energy in this Australian team – they don’t look the deflated version that we saw against England a week and a half ago, but are really looking like the competitive unit they are known to be.

I like how Australia employs Maxwell for an odd over at the start, just to slow things down, and make batters try out things. Meanwhile, Rizwan looks to be freeing up a bit after a bit of a scratchy – and Finch has rightfully put a deep fine leg for him, as he loves scoring in that area, and could potentially hand a catch there.

Update: Cummins is in to keep things in check – there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding here and there while calling for runs between the openers. Most importantly though, they are yet to lose a wicket.

Over 3, Pakistan 21-0 – Babar leads charge, Rizwan iffy

Dropped catch! Well, top, top effort – he ran from mid-off, did really well to get under it, but just couldn’t latch on. Oh dear, that was a big chance. Rizwan though, is just looking a bit out of rhythm. To rub salt on wounds, Babar ends with a nice little boundary, and the crowd is on its feet.

Ooh, some spin now, in the form of good ‘ol Maxwell.

In the same breath, I’d say Rizwan is looking a bit edgy today, a little impatient and ruffled. Hopefully, for Pakistan, he settles down soon, for he’s usually so calm.

Over 1, Pak 2-0 – Starc begins, fast and furious

He’s getting some good pace, is he? At least it looks lovely from up here. These two are so good off the pads though, that anything on the body is happily whipped away.

Starc to Rizwan to start off, and he goes for a wild slash that gets an inside edge, just falling short of the keeper. Quite a start.

Australia v Pakistan live, Aus XI

Finch, Warner, Marsh, Maxwell, Smith, Stoinis, Wade, Cummins, Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood

Australia v Pakistan live, Pak XI

Babar, Rizwan, Zaman, Hafeez, Malik, Asif, Wasim, Shadab, Hasan, Shaheen, Haris

They are playing the same team as their last game.

Australia have won the toss and they will bowl first.

T20 World Cup 2021 Pakistan vs Australia, live: Squads

T20 World Cup 2021 Pakistan squad: Full team list of Pak

T20 World Cup 2021 Australia squad: Full team list of Aus

T20 World Cup 2021 Pakistan vs Australia: Where to watch live

India: Star Sports Network

UK & Ireland: Sky Sports Cricket

Pakistan:  PTV Sports, Asports; Daraz app/www.daraz.pk

Australia: Fox Cricket; Foxtel GO, Foxtel NOW, Kayo Sports

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