Pakistan team took a queue from their opening match against India in the third quarterfinal match against Australia in the 2015 World Cup. Like India, they won the toss and opted to bat first.
But unlike India, Pakistan failed to post a commendable score on the board at the very same Adelaide Oval. Eventually, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood took four wickets and that enabled Australia to restrict Pakistan to a score of 213 before losing all their wickets.
Unfortunately for Pakistan, the hosts Australia had plan for every Pakistani batsmen and dominated the match from the very beginning. Spearheaded by a power-packed pace attack, Australia made early inroads.
Both captain Misbah and Haris Sohail did try to resurrect the innings, but they didn’t have the intensity. After doing the initial hard work, Misbah tried to make the most of Glenn Maxwell’s slow off-spin. But he got out just when Pakistan needed him to stay at the crease and help Pakistan to put up a good score.
After getting a start, Misbah wasn’t the only batsman who threw his wicket. There were four others who followed their captain. Sohail got out on 41. Then, Umar Akmal came to the crease and played some breathtaking straight drives off Mitchell Johnson.
But in a bid to accelerate the scoring, he threw his wicket. Thereafter, Pakistan were playing the catching up game. Experienced Shahid Afridi got off to a flyer and later got out for playing a shot off every delivery. Even Sohaib Maqsood did the same and that exposed the Pakistan tail.
Besides, Hazlewood’s fine effort with the ball, Mitchell Starc was fast and moved the ball sharply. With two scalps in this match, Starc is the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup now. His fellow fast bowler, Johnson, didn’t take that many wickets as he would have liked, but his complimented his other colleagues superbly.
Maxwell bagged two wickets to his credit. The Australians fielded well and took some sharp catches, but their bowling was exceptional. Australian captain Michael Clarke too was spot on with his bowling changes and field placements.
