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Showing posts with label Australia vs Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia vs Pakistan. Show all posts

Friday 20 March 2015

CWC15 - Did Rahat Ali Drop The World Cup For Pakistan?

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Picture this!
Pakistan defending a small total of 213 against the might Aussies.
They have started wonderfully in their defence capturing top three wickets cheaply.
Shane Watson, under serious pressure to perform and stay in this Australian side at the crease
#WahabRiaz in midst of an unbelievable seam bowling spell has him ducking, hopping, poking and doing everything but middling the ball with the bat. A lip service in progress. Everyone in Watson's ears. 

Score precariously poised at 83 for 3.
Wahab, having Watson at his mercy, produces a peach of a bouncer that Watson hooks instinctively. 
Gone you think as the bowl soars up high in the air towards long leg and the fielder settles under the bowl. And Ouch ... bowl slips through his butter fingers ... Catch Floored! What a dolly!!!

All the pressure built over the past few overs evaporates. The Pakistanis are gutted and devastated. Reactions from players say it all. Wahab is distraught, Pak skipper Misbah cant believe it happened, Rahat Ali the fielder in question is utterly embarrassed. If he would have it, he would have dug a hole and buried himself. What a miss! A game changer event.

The opportunity missed. And Australia probably looking for that one moment to come back. They got it and went on to complete the run chase successfully. Shane Watson, ironically, remained unbeaten to guide his team through. Kudos to his courage fighting it out there and not throwing it away (he almost did)...

Steve Waugh had famously said to Herschelle Gibbs in the 1999 semifinals after spilling his catch at short midwicket, "You just dropped the World cup son...."

Did Rahat drop the World Cup for Pakistan?
Feel sad for him. He's a very good young bowler and must be groomed, not chastised back in Pakistan. Wahab was quick to support his colleague and did not put blame on him. Its just pressure of the situation, occassion and opposition that leads to events like these! 

If at all, the onus of this defeat rests with Pakistan batsmen completely.
Not only they missed a huge oppootunity to bat first and pile up a score, the way they got out to some really poor shots should hurt them  more.

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CWC15 LIVE - Wahab Heroics In Vain Due To Dropped Catches

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Its was case of two dropped catches as Pakistan tried to defend a low 213 against the mighty Australia at Adelaide.

At 89 for 3 and the match hanging in balance, Wahab was midst of a breathtaking bowling spell that would be the talking point for years to come. He had #Watson hopping, ducking and all over the place. Then he produced a superb bouncer forcing Watson to pull and the ball lobbed to long leg for an easy catch. And ... #Rahat Ali spilled a sitter! This was the moment ... had they grabbed it, the story could have been just a bit different.

Then again at 160 for 4, with #GlennMaxwell just in #Wahab again got him to play one of his inventive shots. The ballooned catch towards third man was dropped by another seamer #SohailKhan this time... a wicket there and Pak could have another crack at the Aussie lower order.

Game set match! No more chances after that. Maxwell and Watson then took the attack to Pak bowlers and crossed the line in style in 33.4 overs.

Australia stumbled for sure but their clinical execution came to fore yet again.
For Pakistan, it was a case of "Ifs and buts", another day four years from now maybe!

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 213 all out
Aus: 216 for 4 (33.5 overs)

Man of the Match: #JoshHazlewood

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CWC15 LIVE - Wahab Stings Aussies With Wickets And Words

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

#WahabRiaz has stung the Aussies big time.
He is all over them .. with the ball and a few words too!

Brought one change into bowl, he's changed complexion through incisive pace bowling - speed, bounce, length .. all in one.

First he bounced Warner to hit down third man's throat
Then he bounced the skipper Michael Clarke to pop a simple catch at short leg.
Shane Watson was peppered with bouncers and some lip service, perhaps a taste of his own medicine.

Intensity at the Adelaide Oval has just gone up by 2 levels in the last 3-4 overs.
GAME ON....  

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Aus: 67 for 3, 13 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Steady Start But Openers Gone For Aus vs Pak

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Australia have started confidently in their run chase of 213 vs Pakistan.
These smallish totals can be nervy since it brings out indecision in approach scoring them.
But, the professional Aussies are masters at this.

#AaronFinch had yet another failure, trapped leg-before to #SohailKhan.
Aus 15 for 1

#StevenSmith walked in to join #DavidWarner and they started opening up scoring boundaries.

A bowling change brought about the fall of Warner. #WahabRiaz pitched one short that Warner tried to steer over third man but hit it straight down his throat. #RahatAli taking a very good catch.  

#MichaelClarke and #StevenSmith at the crease now.

Can Pakistan turn it around? or Australia will walk away with the game?

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 213 all out
Aus: 52 for 2, 9 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Clinical Australia Restrict Pakistan to 213

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Pakistan batsmen have dug themselves a hole alright!
But, the clinical efficiency shown by the Australian bowlers and fielders ensured Pak never came back in the game. Everytime a partnership developed, #MichaelClarke found a bowler to snuff it out.

#JoshHazlewood led the attack with 4 wickets followed by #MitchellStarc and #GlennMaxwell with 2 each. #JamesFaulkner and #MitchellJohnson took a wicket each. Wickets shared around, fielding was superb and overall a thoroughly professional performance.

For Pakistan, it was again a case of unknown entity syndrome.
Today they just came into the game trying to belt everything out of the ground and dug a hole for themselves. Eerily similar to how Sri Lanka imploded against South Africa.

Now its on the Pak bowlers to defend 213.
Can they do it? or Australia will just finish this off in a hurry..

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 213 all out, 49.5 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Loose Shots Derail Pak After Steady Batting vs Aus

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

A good consolidation period by #Misbah and #Sohail where they steadied things and put Pak on track to a good score. Then suddenly things changed.

In search of wickets, #Clarke brought in #Maxwell for another over to lure #Misbah to go over midwicket (he had already deposited two sixes off Maxwell earlier). He fell to the bait and could not contain his urge to go for another one and holed out to mid-wicket. Surprising shot considering his experience, stage of the match and considering all hard work was done already to steady the ship.

After this dismissal, it was #HarisSohail who had to take responsibility to bat through having settled down. What does he do? He wafts at a harmless delivery outside off to be caught behind.

The poor shot display didn't stop here. #UmarAkmal came in, played some fabulous shots and then .... pulled a rank long hop from Maxwell down mid-wicket's throat. O dear!

From 97 for 2, they were reduced to 124 for 5 through poor batting.
Australia wont mind this one bit. They haven't looked incisive but theie gambles have paid off thus far. 

Boom Boom Afridi at the crease, made a statement through some lusty hitting. But with him you can always hope he stays there for the next ball. And he didnt. He too pulled one straight to mid-wicket.
158 for 6 now.

#SohaibMaqsood has #WahabRiaz for company. 
Can they take Pak to 250? They need that minimum to give their       

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 158 for 6, 34 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Misbah Living A Charmed Life?

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

After initial setbacks, Pakistan are looking at #Misbah to dig in and bail them out.
And lady luck seems to be smiling on him too...

Playing just his 4th delivery from #Hazlewood, the ball, moving down the legside, caught his thigh pad moved in, clipped the legstump, the bails popped up (both stumps and bails lit up beautifully) and back in the groove! Not out ... (bails need to fall down to count as OUT)

Everyone seemed animated. Australians appealed, umpires explained them the rules, Misbah was sheepishly looking at the whole thing.

Is this the break Pak needed in a huge game?
Only time will tell ... Misbah should think that way and pile on a big innings. Perhaps a century? (missing from his ODI resume)  

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 50 for 2, 12.1 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Quick Wickets Put Australia On Top Early vs Pak

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Quick wickets by their opening seamers #Starc and #Hazlewood have put Australia on top very early in their knockout quarterfinal match vs Pakistan

After a decent start by Pak openers, Starc induced an edge from #Sarfraz to second slip where #Watson took a good low catch.

In the very next over, #Shehzad played away from his body to a swinging Hazlewood delivery edging to Australia skipper #Clarke.

Pak skipper #MisbahUlHaq at the crease with #HarisSohail and they need to consolidate and build a big partnership to compete in this match. The good thing for them is they are batting first which is their strength (bowling at oppositions later in the day works best for them, thats their strength)

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
Pak: 28 for 2, 8 overs

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CWC15 LIVE - Pakistan Win Toss, Bat First vs Australia

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Pakistan skipper #MisbahUlHaq has won the toss and elected to bat first on a beautiful Adelaide Oval pitch that should remain good throughout the day. It might seam and swing around early, so Pakistan batsmen need to get their eyes in and look to set up a platform.

Australia skipper wasnt too disappointed at losing the toss.

Pakistan openers #Sarfraz and #Shehzad to start proceedings while #MitchellStarc will open the bowling for Australia.

Let the game begin!!

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CWC15 - Precision Aussies vs Mercurial Pak At Adelaide In a Short While

#Australia vs Pakistan
#Adelaide Oval
20th Mar 2015

Its going to be a battle of the super precision oriented Australia vs the extremely unpredictable Pakistan in their quarterfinal at the #AdelaideOval.

Australia firm favorites to win this game and go all the way as well.
Pakistan batting not clicking at all, their bowlers have done the job with their bowling.

#Australia captain #MichaelClarke will be vary wary of the Pak bowling and needs his batsmen to show discipline and line. Pakistaan need their top order to perform to cause any disruption in the Aussie ranks.

Battle of the left arm seamers
Johnson and Starc for Aus while Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali for Pak.

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