By IANS
Johannesburg : Misbah-ul-Haq smashed an unbeaten half-century as Pakistan surprised world champions Australia by six wickets in a Super Eights match of the Twenty20 World Championship here Tuesday.
Misbah scored 66 not out off 42 balls (7x4s, 1×6) to help Pakistan successfully chase Australia’s 164 for seven wickets in the allocated 20 overs at New Wanderers Stadium.
Left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers. He took three wickets 31 in four overs.
Misbah, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, was well supported by captain Shoaib Malik, who hammered a 38-ball 52 (4x4s, 2x6s), as the two unbeaten batsmen guided Pakistan to 165 for four wickets in 19.1 overs. Pakistan won with five balls to spare.
Stuart Clark bowled well to take three wickets for 27 in his quota of four overs.
With this win, Pakistan has climbed to the top of Group F with four points from two wins while Australia are placed second with two points from one win and one defeat.
SCOREBOARD
Australia vs. Pakistan, Twenty20 World Championship, at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Australia:
Adam Gilchrist c Hafeez b Tanvir 24
Matthew Hayden c Younis b Tanvir 1
Ricky Ponting b Hafeez 27
Andrew Symonds b Afridi 29
Michael Hussey c Nazir b Tanvir 37
Brad Hodge c Younis b Asif 36
Michael Clarke run out (Afridi) 0
Brett Lee not out 2
Mitchell Johnson not out 1
Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 3) 7
Total: (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 164
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Hayden, 1.3 overs), 2-32 (Gilchrist, 3.4), 3-80 (Symonds, 8.5), 4-92 (Ponting, 11.1), 5-155 (Hussey, 17.5), 6-159 (Clarke, 18.4), 7-162 (Hodge, 19.3)
Bowling:
Mohammad Asif 4 0 34 1 (2w)
Sohail Tanvir 4 0 31 3 (1w)
Shahid Afridi 4 1 35 1
Mohammad Hafeez 4 0 31 1
Umar Gul 4 0 29 0
Pakistan:
Imran Nazir c Johnson b Clark 10
Mohammad Hafeez c Clarke b Clark 15
Salman Butt lbw b Johnson 11
Younis Khan c Lee b Clark 4
Shoaib Malik not out 52
Misbah-ul-Haq not out 66
Extras: (lb 1, w 5, nb 1) 7
Total: (for four wickets in 19.1 overs) 165
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Nazir, 3.1 overs), 2-27 (Hafeez, 3.4 ov), 3-35 (Younis, 5.1 ov), 4-46 (Butt, 6.4)
Bowling:
Brett Lee 4 0 30 0 (1nb)
Nathan Bracken 4 0 35 0
Stuart Clark 4 0 27 3
Mitchell Johnson 4 0 28 1 (4w)
Andrew Symonds 2.1 0 27 0 (1w)
Michael Clarke 1 0 17 0
Result: Pakistan won by six wickets
Points: Pakistan 2, Australia 0
Toss; Pakistan (chose to bowl)
Man of the Match: Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
Umpires: Mark Benson (England) and Nigel Llong (England)
TV umpire: Daryl Harper (Australia)
Match referee: Chris Broad (England)