Pakistan and Australia will play in the second semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on November 11 (Thursday). The match will commence at 8:00 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Pakistan played in two finals and won the 2009 tournament. On the other hand, Australia only played one final match in 2010, losing to arch-rivals England. Both teams haven't played in a final since 2010, so they will be keen to get to the final this time around. Let's take a look at Pakistan vs. Australia semi-final match preview. 

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Pakistan vs. Australia: Important T20I Records

Pakistan and Australia last played in a Twenty20 International match in Perth two years ago. The Australian team won the match by a margin of ten wickets. Pakistan have the upper hand in a head-to-head contest. Here are some of their notable T20I records against one another.

Crucial T20I Record between both sides

 Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Pakistan 

Pakistan's biggest strength is that they have the most well-balanced team among the competitors. Skipper Babar Azam and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan have been outstanding with the bat. They hold the best partnership (152*) in the competition, which they set against India in their opening match. They have given Pakistan a strong start, and the following batters keep the momentum going till the end. This strategy has worked out pretty well thus far for Pakistan. 

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Apart from them, Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik have shown their capability in the death overs. Particularly, Asif Ali’s has been a nice find, who almost single-handedly took Pakistan home against New Zealand and Afghanistan respectively.

Besides, Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik have shown their talents in death overs. Particularly, Asif Ali has been a nice find. He single-handedly led Pakistan to victory against New Zealand and Afghanistan.   

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Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi probably bowled the best two deliveries of the competition against India. Since then, he has become a real threat, particularly in the power play. The pinpoint accuracy of Afridi at the start of the innings might put Australia's top order under pressure. Haris, Shadab, and Imad all have performed well in the middle overs.

Hasan Ali’s bowling discipline is a major concern. He has bowled an excessive number of no-balls in the tournament, which needs to be addressed. Otherwise, Australian batters may take advantage of it and take the game away from them. The Pakistan dressing room is in a jovial mood right now, and they are ready to face Australia.    

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Probable Playing XI 

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Australia 

Australia's opening pair, David Warner and Aaron Finch are having a great time in this competition. They made a century partnership (124) against the West Indians, and it seems they have a solid understanding between them. However, one major issue is that the following batters have not tested much in the tournament. So, if they lose early wickets in the game that could halt them to build the innings for a challenging total to defend. In this regard, Australia should be cautious, and they must retain wickets in hand in order to unleash in the death overs.

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In the middle-order, Steven Smith and Glen Maxwell have been struggling with strike rates, which is a major issue for them. Therefore, in-form Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis must perform well in this game.  

Leg-spinners are occasionally expensive in white-ball cricket, but they have the capability to take wickets at critical stages of the innings. As a result, leg-spinner Adam Zampa will be Australia's go-to bowler in this encounter. He has the best bowling figure (5/19) in the competition, which he obtained against Bangladesh. In addition, Zampa has one of the best economy rates (5.73) in the tournament.

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Hazlewood has been in excellent form, taking 8 wickets with a 6.87 economy rate. But, Starc and Pat Cummins have been struggling a bit since the start of the World Cup. They need to step up in this big match against Pakistan. Especially breaking the Babar-Rizwan partnership would be the highest priority for Australia. Overall, Australia's T20 team has the ability to defeat Pakistan and progress to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 final.

Probable Playing XI 

David Warner, Aaron Finch (captain), Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

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Verdict

The Pakistan team dominated the Super 12 Round, winning all of their matches. They came out on top in Group 2 as the table toppers. Australia won four games and lost to England in the Super 12s. They just edged out South Africa in the net run rates for a semifinal berth.

Going into the semi-final matchup, Pakistan are full of confidence and in better form than Australia. However, Australia will be very determined to win this match in order to improve their position in the T20 format. Therefore, Pakistan vs. Australia match has grabbed the curiosity of supporters.     

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