Aussies bite dust, Pak win by 6 wickets

New Delhi: Captain Shoaib Malik struck his second consecutive half-century and was involved in another 100-run stand as Pakistan stunned world champions Australia by six wickets in their Group E Super Eights encounter at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Pakistan bowled exceptionally well to restrict world champions Australia to 164-7 before Malik (52 not out) and Misbah-ul-Haq (66 not out) finished off the game with five balls to spare.

After being stung hard by Pakistan's bowlers, Australia hit back reducing the 1992 world champions to 46-4 when Misbah-ul-Haq joined Shoaib Malik in the middle to salvage the situation. And after having done that, the pair saw their side home with an unbeaten 119-run stand.

Australia, having won the One-Day International World Cup in the Caribbean without losing a match, have now lost two in the ICC World Twenty20 after losing to Zimbabwe in their opening match and now against Pakistan.

Pakistan bowled brilliantly in the last three overs conceding just 14 runs and picking up two wickets. Left arm-pacer Sohail Tanvir was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-31.

Michael Hussey and Brad Hodge got the innings going with a 63-run partnership. Hussey top scored with 37 followed by Hodge with 36.

Earlier, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and asked Australia to bat first, and struck immediately as left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir bamboozled opener Matthew Hayden with his deceiving action to get him out for 1.

Adam Gilchrist was snapped up by the same bowler after hitting five boundaries in his 24.

Ponting and Symonds put on a 48-run partnership for the third wicket until Shahid Afridi accounted for Symonds' dismissal for 29.

Pakistan managed to put the brakes on the Aussie scoring rate with the wicket of Ponting, as the batsman was out bowled for 26.

The Pakistani players made significant contributions in the field, while the Aussies weren't able to find frequent boundaries, and hitting only a single six during their innings.

Having beaten World Cup finalists Sri Lanka only a day before, Pakistan have now virtually sealed a spot in the semi-finals as Australia and Sri Lanka now vie for the second spot up for grabs.

Teams:

Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Brad Hodge, Michael Clarke, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clarke.

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik (C), Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir.