Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis stood unbeaten in a six-hitting feast to lead Australia into the Twenty20 World Cup final with a five-wicket win over Pakistan on Thursday.
Chasing 177 for victory, Australia were in trouble at 96-5 when Stoinis (40) and Wade, who hit the winning six in his 41, put on 81 runs to finish off the match with one over to spare in Dubai.
The left-handed Wade, who was dropped by Hasan Ali on 21, smashed three straight sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 19th over to set up a title clash with New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
David Warner made 49 before being caught behind off leg-spinner Shadab Khan who took four wickets.
Australia suffered an early blow when Shaheen trapped skipper Aaron Finch lbw for nought as the Pakistan-dominated crowd erupted.
The in-form Warner kept up the attack from one end with support from Mitchell Marsh.
But Shadab turned up the heat in the seventh over to get Marsh out for 28.
The leg-spinner struck in each of his four overs to claim the big wickets of Steve Smith, for five, Warner, and Glenn Maxwell, for seven as Australia lost half their side for 96.
Warner walked when he was caught behind after hitting three fours and three sixes in his 30-ball stay but replays later showed there was no contact off the batsman’s bat.
Stoinis and Wade steered the team to their second T20 World Cup semi-final and dream of a maiden title.
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