In a complete turnaround of events, Pakistan has qualified for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup. Early on Sunday, people witnessed how the course of just one game can change the face of a league completely. In the biggest upset of this season yet, Netherlands beat the table toppers South Africa. The defeat immediately pushed South Africa out of the tournament. Meanwhile, India earned a sure-shot spot in the semi-finals. And the Pakistan Vs Bangladesh match became a knockout game with the turnout of just a single game. And now, Pakistan imitating a true phoenix has qualified for the final spot in the playoffs beating Bangladesh.
The Virtual Quarter-Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh
Pakistan and Bangladesh took the Adelaide Oval, mere minutes after gaining the knowledge that it was a virtual quarter-final. South Africa’s defeat and shocking bow out from the tournament put all the stakes on the Pakistan Vs Bangladesh clash. In the knockout match, Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first at the readily used pitch. However, Shaheen Afridi finally gained his lost form as he scalped 4 wickets outing just 22 runs in his spell.
With the help of Shanto’s half-centurion knock, Bangladesh put up a score of 127 on the board. Chasing the target of a considerably low score, the Pakistani openers put a show of slow batting. Without getting a chance to change gears, both Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam walked off cheaply but not quickly. Rizwan scored 32 off 32 while Azam in a first for his World Cup campaign got into the league of double-digit score with a 25 off 33.
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However, the recently identified man in form of Pakistan, Mohammad Haris took the charge as he led his team toward the final semi-final slot. Haris’s 31 off 18 added with Shan Masood scoring 24 off just 14 let Pakistan rise over Bangladesh in the utmost crucial match. And now, all the semi-finalists of the T20 World Cup have come into view. New Zealand and England have qualified from Group 1 and it’s the arch-rivals India and Pakistan from Group 2. The semi-final fixtures between these four now depend on the last Super 12 game currently going on between India and Zimbabwe.
