Pakistan vs Australia, 2nd Semi-Final - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

That's all from us folks! Hope you enjoyed this cracker. A tough night for the Pakistan players and their fans. There's job still to do for Australia. Excited for the final? See you on Sunday!

AUSTRALIA ENTER T20 WORLD CUP FINAL

Australia win by five wickets. Did Hasan Ali drop the cup? He dropped Wade at midwicket and the next ball was scooped by the left-hander for a six. He didn't just stop there. Struck two more sixes on the next two balls to carry Australia home with an over to spare. Afridi has an over to forget and Pakistan's campaign has come crashing down.

It seemed as if the game had slipped away from Australia. Shadab had bagged four wickets and did well to derail the chase after Warner's 49. Stoinis and Wade were exceptional and timed things pretty well. They ensured the run rate didn't get away and Wade finished it off in some style.

Two overs to go - Australia need 22 ...

Australia need 62 off 30 ...

All over?

Maxwell goes the big reverse sweep and is caught at the boundary. Shadab bags his fourth and leaves Australia reeling in the chase at 96 for 5. What a day it's turning out to be for the legspinner.

Big wicket!

Shadab has bagged his third and this could be a match-turning wicket. Warner went for a cut and gets caught behind. Replays show Warner missed the ball by a long way. The umpire gave it out and Warner didn't review. Pakistan are pumped and they know the match can turn from here. Who are you backing now?

Australia 90 for 4

10 overs done - Australia 89 for 3

Shadab strikes twice

And Steve Smith goes now. David Warner need support and he's not getting it at the moment. Smith skies one and is caught by Hafeez. Maxwell is now at the crease.

Australia 77 for 3

Two down

Shadab strikes on his second ball. Tossed up and Marsh went for the slog sweep. The top edge is well caught by Asif Ali. Pakistan now have another opening just when it seemed Australia have recovered from the Finch wicket.

Australia 52 for 2

Play that!

Full and swinging in, Finch had no answer to it and falls lbw. The Australia captain has bagged a first-ball duck and Afridi strikes on the third ball of the chase.

Australia 1 for 1

Australia set 177

You have to say Pakistan will be happy with this score but there's also a feeling that they could have gotten a few more. Australian bowlers were sloppy at times and leaked 105 in the last ten overs. Rizwan got a half-century while Zaman did some damage as well. Adam Zampa was exceptional with the ball and ended with 4-0-22-1. The onus is now on the Pakistan bowlers to counter dew and ensure the Australian batters don't have a good day at the office.

First-ball duck for Asif Ali ...

Two down

Starc gets the big wicket of Rizwan. Full and the opener lobs a simple catch to mid-off. Pakistan have scored 53 in the last five overs and need a big finish in the last three overs. All eyes on Asif Ali and Fakhar Zaman then.

Pakistan 149 for 2

50 for Rizwan

A huge six and Rizwan gets his tenth T20I half-century in 2021. His third in his World Cup and he's also become the first player to score 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year. How many will Pakistan score in the final ten overs?

Pakistan 106 for 1 in 14 overs

10 overs done

The game looked in the balance till 9.5 overs but Australia just ahead now. Adam Zampa has Babar caught at long-on and Pakistan lose their opening wicket with 71 on the board. The pressure is on Pakistan to post a challenging total and give their bowlers the cushion of extra runs especially with dew set to play a role during the chase. Who are you backing?

Powerplay done - Pakistan 47 for no loss

Promising start

Pressure of a big game? What's that? Both Babar and Rizwan are playing their shots. Just 11 came in the first two overs but both openers collect a boundary each against Maxwell.

Pakistan 22 for no loss in three overs

The national anthems are done and the players are out there in the middle. Rizwan and Babar will open. Starc has the ball and we are all set. Excited?

In Dubai, in this T20 World Cup, only once has a team batting first has won the game. There's a huge challenge ahead of Pakistan now.

TOSS - Unchanged Australia opt to bowl; Pakistan make no changes as well

Teams -

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

ICYMI - Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik have been declared fit for the game. They were suffering from mild flu ahead of the contest.

Hello and welcome to the live blog of the second semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 between Pakistan and Australia in Dubai. Before we get going, here's Bharat Sundaresan's preview -

The Australian media space has been filled with reminiscences of the team's past tours to Pakistan over the last couple of days. From Gavin Robertson talking about his time walking through dark alleys to find underground markets in Multan to others recalling less adventurous memories. The clip which has done the rounds the most though is that of Mark Taylor's interview with the late David Hookes explaining his decision to declare the innings when he was on a record-equalling 334 not out in Lahore. This throwback train of course has been commissioned as a result of the official announcement of Australia's proposed return to Pakistan for the first time since 1998.

While debates continue to rage about whether the Australians will indeed head there for the first time in 24 years, and which of their players will be on that flight, the two teams are guaranteed to face each other in Dubai on Thursday (November 11). And in a rather significant contest too. A win will after all take either team to their first T20 World Cup final in over a decade. Waiting there for them will be an inspired New Zealand team, desperate to add a second ICC trophy for the year.

And Taylor isn't the only left-handed Australian batter of renown whose memories have resurfaced incessantly over the last couple of days. For, the first question you get asked about the semi-final is "who will be the Michael Hussey on this occasion?". It's in reference to the last time these two teams at the same stage of a T20 World Cup, back in 2010 in St Lucia. It was Hussey's four-ball assault on Saeed Ajmal that had after all given the Aussies a seemingly unlikely win.

A lot has changed since. And in many ways the tables have flipped completely. Australia were the firm favourites going into that semifinal 11 years ago. It was during a phase when the men from Down Under were winning ICC tournaments for fun and it seemed only inevitable that they would add a T20I crown to their tally. They'd steamrolled their way into the knockout phase and it took some special performances from the Akmal brothers to put Pakistan in a position of strength before the Hussey heist.

It's Babar Azam and his highly-talented bunch, however, who've been the form team this time around. If anything, Pakistan have had an Australia of yore like campaign in this World Cup. To the extent that there's been a bit of that late 1990s Australian team aura about this current Pakistani outfit. Every player has a defined role and all of them perform those roles almost seamlessly. They've had a near-perfect campaign, with even some of their players who didn't start too well having now hit peak form, like a Hasan Ali or Shoaib Malik.

And as the only unbeaten team in the tournament, they hold most of the aces going into Thursday's contest. They seem to have the more balanced side, arguably a more potent bowling attack and batters in great form. Not to forget that intangible yet important factor of momentum.

Meanwhile, rarely has an Australian team flown under the radar quite like they have in the UAE. The only time they were under the spotlight was ironically following their humbling defeat at the hands of England. Not many had given them a chance to progress from their tough group to start with. And they didn't look all that convincing in their opening game against South Africa either. But like good Australian teams do, Aaron Finch & Co have dominated at the right times against the right opponents to force their way here ahead of the Proteas. Though not as erratic as them at their eccentric best, the Aussies' run so far in this World Cup has been somewhat like how Pakistan had gone in that 2010 edition of this event.

What Australia have going for them is that Pakistan have not yet quite faced a bowling attack with the firepower that their semi-final opponents possess. Having said that, the only time Australia faced a team with anywhere close to Pakistan's overall might, England, they went down by submission rather meekly. Perhaps, in a strange way, the Aussies could take some inspiration from their trans-Tasman rivals in terms of overcoming pre-match odds to book a place in the final.

There are two streaks on the line here. Australia have never lost to Pakistan in an ICC knockout game while Babar & Co have won their 16 last T20Is in the UAE. Whichever way it goes, what is for certain is that one of them won't stand come Thursday night.