Pakistan make perfect start

A perfect display of T20 batting saw Pakistan tick all the right boxes and post a challenging 176 for 4 against Australia in the second semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai yesterday.

Skipper Babar Azam (39 off 34 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (67 off 52) set the platform by putting up their best Powerplay score of the tournament, getting 47 runs without loss before some powerful hitting by Fakhar at the end saw them make 54 runs off the last four overs.

Dubai seemed more like Islamabad as the crowd enjoyed some brilliant hitting by Fakhar, who smashed consecutive sixes to Mitchell Starc in the final over of the innings and reached his fifty off just 31 balls.

The left-hander remained unbeaten on 55 off just 32 balls, striking four sixes and three fours, to continue Pakistan's brilliant run of form with the bat in the mega-event.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, it was the two in-form Pakistan openers Babar and Rizwan who played sensibly while ensuring they got a boundary off every over in the Powerplay.

Between overs seven and 13, Australia conceded just 45 runs and when Babar was caught at long-on after scoring 39 off 34 balls off the bowling of Adam Zampa, Pakistan were 71 for 1 after ten overs.

But after that, some short-arm jabs from Rizwan and powerful hitting by Fakhar brought Pakistan back into contention. From 117 for 1 after 15 overs, Pakistan made a late launch and despite Rizwan's dismissal after scoring a team-high 67 off 52 balls, Fakhar steadied the ship and guided the men in green to a cracking effort in their hopes to seal the pace for a final.