Australia’s unbeaten thirty-four match win streak in the World Cup was broken by a Pakistan team that looked surprising sharp and ensured that Pakistan topped the Group A table and points in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
Australia were always struggling to come to terms with Pakistan’s bowling and get the innings going. Brad Haddin struggled to keep Australia’s hopes alive even as the Pakistan bowlers were slicing into the Australian line up piece by piece.
Australia were always struggling to come to terms with Pakistan’s bowling and get the innings going. Brad Haddin struggled to keep Australia’s hopes alive even as the Pakistan bowlers were slicing into the Australian line up piece by piece.
Apart from Haddin’s forty-two and Michael Clarke’s thirty-four, Australia failed to offer the kind of resistance that could seize the initiative back from Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Australia’s struggle was only countered by the pace and wicket taking ability of Umar Gul who ensured he began the slide and was there at the end to finish it without giving Australia a chance to get out of the stranglehold.
Chasing just 176 for victory, Pakistan caused a few nerves to jangle when they lost two wickets with forty-five runs on board and then,again with the score on ninety-eight. On each of those occasions, Brett Lee was the wrecker in chief.
However, on this occasion, Lee’s terrifying breaks were not breakthroughs with Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal who kept Pakistan in the hunt and it was particularly pleasing that it was the younger members taking responsibility across the finish line. Shafiq made forty-six runs and Akmal made forty-four runs as Pakistan were able to seal a confident four wicket victory with nine overs to spare to bruise the egos of the three time defending champions.
