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Pakistan ends Australia's amazing run

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Bowls out the strongest batting line-up for the first time in over a decade

— PHOTO: AFP

TIMBER!Steve Smith, who looked set to take Australia past 200, was castled by a brilliant delivery from Shahid Afridi.

COLOMBO: The most unpredictable team in this edition of the ICC World Cup, Pakistan, kept its date with history. It handed out a humiliating defeat to Australia — its first in a World Cup game in about 12 years — with nine overs to spare.

In under eight hours, Pakistan created history twice in the final group game in Sri Lanka. First it bowled out the strongest batting line-up in the Cup for the first time in over a decade and then handing it its first defeat after 34 games.

For more than an hour and a half, an aggressive Brett Lee, who has never been part of the team when it lost a cup game, stood between Pakistan and victory.

He displayed the famed Aussie never-give-up-attitude, sprinted in his follow through and dived to hold on to a Hafeez lob get the first breakthrough.

He then held a catch at long on to send back the dangerous Afridi, sledged batsmen to distract them, often threatened to throw the ball to the keeper having picked it up on follow through making the batsmen jump out of the way, and bowled a tidy length to pick up four wickets.

But the young Asad Shafiq (46), braved a twisted ankle, and was involved in two match-winning partnerships; 53 with Younus Khan (31) and 41 with Umar Akmal (44 not out) and held the batting together.

The last time Australia lost a Cup game was also against Pakistan on May 23, 1999 at Headingley. This time around, the two-paced pitch that made average spinners look good, and on which no game has been played so far, became Pakistan's biggest ally.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi revealed on Friday that the team had a plan for Australia. “ Jeethengey Ji, bilkul Jeethengey,” [we will win and we will win for sure] said the quick-thinking Pathan when asked about his plans. The plan was to go after the Aussies, pile on the pressure and hope that they crack as a unit. It worked.

The plan included keeping Razzaq for the second ball (after 35 overs), use the slower bowlers in rotation to contain, and give Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz the responsibility to work on the minds of the batsmen.

After Australia elected to bat, Pakistan opened with Umar Gul and spinner Abdur Rehman. The move paid off.

In the first five overs, Australia crawled to 12 for the loss of Shane Watson, who did not move far enough to cover his off-stump to a Gul special that came in from a length from outside the off stump. Australia's second best batsman in the tournament (265 in five innings) had gone.

Unsteady, unsure

After 10 overs, Australia was 36 for one and the first 50 runs came in 12.2 overs, the 100 in 25.5. In a 22-over stretch from 20 to 42, Australia looked unsteady, unsure and unprepared for early losses.

There was just one hit to the boundary, that too a risky drive off Clarke which took the edge and flew to the third man boundary.

It never looked like Australia would get to the average first innings score of 239 at Premadasa. In 40 overs, it managed 148, losing seven wickets.

Afridi shuffled his bowlers; used them in short spurts from both ends, and reaped rich dividends. Razzaq was introduced only in the 35th over, after Mohammed Hafeez completed his quota and immediately sent back Clarke. Razzaq's figures of two for eight is his best in the tournament.

Early on in the Australian innings Ponting and Haddin worked the ball around and did not seem unduly bothered about the scoring rate.

Ponting, on 19, attempted to cut Hafeez and the ball took the edge and Kamran caught it.

Kamran's three catches

The umpire turned down the appeal and a review confirmed that indeed, Kamran had taken a catch. In all, Kamran held three catches.

Ponting has been in horrible form in this edition and has just managed 102 in five innings.

Pakistan, perhaps inspired by the fact that even Kamran did not drop anything behind the wickets, fielded its best in this tournament.

Fielders routinely stopped stinging shots, dived to retrieve balls and generally functioned as a unit.

Australia retained the team from the Canada tie while Pakistan preferred Wahab Riaz over Shoaib Akhtar. Batsman Ahmed Shehzad, who has had a bad run in the series, was replaced by Shafiq.

Australia: S. Watson b Gul 9 (16b, 1x4), B. Haddin c K. Akmal b Riaz 42 (80b, 3x4, 1x6), R. Ponting c K. Akmal b Hafeez 19 (33b, 2x4), M. Clarke b Razzaq 34 (48b, 2x4), C. White (run out) 8 (18b), M. Hussey c Misbah b Rehman 12 (22b), S. Smith b Afridi 25 (32b, 1x4), M. Johnson c K. Akmal b Razzaq 0 (3b), J. Krejza b Gul 7 (19b), B. Lee c Misbah b Gul 5 (8b, 1x4), S. Tait (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (lb-5, w-10): 15; Total (in 46.4 overs): 176.

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-75, 3-90, 4-117, 5-134, 6-144, 7-147, 8-169, 9-176.

Pakistan bowling: Gul 7.4-1-30-3, Rehman 10-0-34-1, Afridi 9-0-34-1, Riaz 6-0-39-1, Hafeez 10-0-26-1, Razzaq 4-0-8-2.

Pakistan: K. Akmal lbw Lee 23 (27b, 5x4), Mohd. Hafeez c & b Lee 5 (8b, 1x4), A. Shafiq c Watson b Johnson 46 (81b, 5x4), Younis c Haddin b Lee 31 (42b, 4x4), Misbah c Haddin b Lee 0 (1b), U. Akmal (not out) 44 (59b, 4x4, 1x6), S. Afridi c Lee b Krejza 2 (4b), A. Razzaq (not out) 20 (24b, 2x4); Extras: (lb-1, b-2, w-4) 7; Total (for six wkts in 41 overs): 178.

Fall of wickets: 1- 12, 2- 45, 3-98, 4-98, 5-139, 6-142.

Australia: Lee 8-1-28-4, Tait 8-1-37-0, Johnson 9-1-40-1, Watson 6-0-26-0, Krejza 10-0-44-1.

Man of the match: Umar Akmal (Pakistan).

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