Smith, Hazlewood book semi-final berth
Wahab Riaz delivered one of the most fearsome spells in World Cup history but Australia, helped by some shoddy Pakistan fielding, weathered the storm and set up a semi-final showdown with India
Wahab Riaz delivered one of the most fearsome spells in World Cup history but Australia, helped by some shoddy Pakistan fielding, weathered the storm and set up a semi-final showdown with India
Scorer: S Raju | Commentator: Alan Gardner
9.30pm: Rahat Ali will dream about that catch tonight; Shane Watson will probably dream about Wahab Riaz, snarling and barking. Plenty of us will lie back and think of Wahab after one of the great World Cup spells, as Brydon Coverdale puts it in his report, but that will be the last we see of this Pakistan side. Many will miss Misbah, plenty will miss Afridi, there might even be a few who are sad to see the back of both... Anyway, this was another Australia day, so we'll let them enjoy the moment. They'll play India in Sydney next Thursday and we'll be all over like Wahab on Watto. Until then, from Sid and myself, it's tatty-bye.
9.20pm: Presentations time at Adelaide Oval... Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq: "Obviously disappointing, credit to Australia, they really deserved it, they bowled really well. [batting underperformed] I think so, at one stage 270-80 was on but we kept losing wickets and some of the batting shot selection really cost us. [Wahab] He bowled his heart out, he's been a totally different bowler throughout this tournament, I've never seen spells like that. [Pleased overall] With the bowling and the way the team came back and won four games in a row."
Australia captain Michael Clarke: "Extremely happy, a really close game in the end. The bowlers did a fantastic job, our fielding was excellent, but Wahab came out and really put us under pressure, one of the fastest spells I've seen in a long time. Watson toughed it out, Steven Smith looked fantastic. If they catch Watto at fine leg it could have been a lot tighter, credit to sticking in there. Wahab pushed us really hard. We look forward to another really tough contest [against India], we'll have to bat a lot better. No different to another game playing for Australia. Spoken about not putting the World Cup on a pedestal, so preparation as always, every time you want to do your best, play another great game for Australia."
9.10pm: Advance Australia, though fair play to Pakistan's bowlers, who at least kept it interesting. There'll be no repeat of the 2011 semi-final, with India waiting for the winner here. As with Mahela and Sanga the other day, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq go out on a quiet note. The Pakistan batting will have to undergo a refit and they suffered again from not having put enough runs on the board - which in part was down to the opposition's excellence, including Man of the Match, Josh Hazlewood: "Great day, I've been bowling well all week so good to put in a performance. Happy to get a game today and happy with the result. Keeping them to 213 was perfect for us and the boys did a good job with the bat. We're firing on all aspects, it's been a good tournament and we're going well."
"I'm quite sure if there were infinite universes, PK would still be losing this one in everyone of those," honks Henrik Back
Sohail Khan returns, Australia need 11 more from 102 balls
An epic tale of bowler v batsman
Pakistanis glory in spectacle because it provides a buffer against the disappointment they have come to accept as their lot
Here's the important detail many of us overlooked: Wahab Riaz and Shane Watson had been fined for an incident in the 33rd over, much after that enthralling spell
Given the circumstances, they actually did the opposite in the World Cup, bringing fervour back to their fan base
Wahab Riaz and Shane Watson have both been sanctioned by the ICC for their part in a fiery and memorable confrontation in the quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan at Adelaide Oval