The semifinals should feature some fascinating cricket. New Zealand and Pakistan seem to be evenly matched in terms of batting, with both sides having big and clean hitters. New Zealand have Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram, while Pakistan have Misbah, Afridi and Younis Khan. The Pakistanis have struggled with their opening combination in the tournament. Salman Butt, who has been able to play himself in and then accelerate in fifty-over cricket, has not been able to do the same in the Twenty20 variety, probably because the overs are lesser. Shoaib Malik, the captain, has been playing well and has handled the side competently. The key player is Shahid Afridi, with bat and ball. The newcomer Sohail Tanvir has enjoyed bowling on South African pitches, which accord more bounce and ‘carry’ than those on the subcontinent. He has displayed the pleasing propensity of learning with each outing. His yorker is an effective weapon, and the batsmen have found it difficult to ‘slog’ him. If Mohammed Asif can give his team some early breakthroughs, Pakistan will go a long way in containing the Kiwis.
It is in the fielding department wherein New Zealand will have a slight edge. Batting-wise, they have done the smart thing by getting McCullum to open. He has been a terrific finisher for New Zealand in the fifty-over game. By promoting him, New Zealand are giving him more overs in which to play his brand of attacking cricket. McMillan’s return to the New Zealand team has been nothing short of a fairy tale, and how well has he batted! He has delivered whenever needed, and it won’t be surprising if he adds to his tally of sixes in the tournament later today. The Pakistanis will be after his scalp.
Vettori has used himself and Jeeten Patel craftily in this format, wherein spinners tend to be targeted by the batsmen. The clash should make for good viewing.
The second encounter between Australia and India also promises to be an excellent game because of the manner in which the latter have adjusted to this format. India have been reluctant to accept ‘Twenty20’ cricket and consequently, the players are relatively inexperienced, but their performances in this format have been top-class. The younger players have certainly lifted the fielding, though some basic faults still remain. Dhoni has been very impressive because of the composure he has displayed under intense pressure and tension. Hopefully Yuvraj will be fit and Sehwag will also fire. India shouldn’t fiddle with the batting order, and ensure as they have done so far, that the quicker fielders with good throwing arms are patrolling the boundary. The bowling has been good, with RP Singh being the pick of the lot. If Sreesanth can control his excitement and eagerness and not try to do too much, then he can be effective too.
Harbhajan and Pathan have shown enough in their comeback to the India colors, and their experience has been a big plus in the tournament. The Australians, even without Ponting, will obviously start as favorites. They have shown champion-like qualities in coming back after the loss to Zimbabwe. Don’t forget that they have had a long lay-off, and this is their first event after the World Cup, which ended in late April. They were therefore just a touch short, but every match they play will take them closer to optimal form. Adam Gilchrist had a pretty ordinary World Cup till he exploded in the final against Sri Lanka with devastating results. The whole of India will be hoping that it won’t happen this time. Still, with their bowling attack and fielding, Australia will start as favorites.
However, the format of the tournament is such that the game can swing around in just a couple of overs. India will hope that when that happens, it swings toward them rather than against.
