Australia beat Pakistan in T20 World Cup semi-final, to face New Zealand in final

Australia reached the T20 World Cup final after beating Pakistan by five wickets in the semi-final on Thursday.

David Warner and Matthew Wade starred with the bat for Australia, while Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf impressed with the ball for Pakistan.

Australia will face New Zealand in the final on Sunday, while Pakistan will play England in the third-place play-off on Friday.

Australia won the toss and elected to field first. Pakistan made a solid start, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan putting on 55 for the first wicket.

However, Australia hit back with three quick wickets, including the prized scalp of Babar Azam. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 176 in the final over.

In reply, Australia got off to a flying start, with Warner and Aaron Finch putting on 56 for the first wicket. Warner was eventually dismissed for 49, but Wade continued to push on.

Wade hit an unbeaten 41 off 20 balls, including three sixes, to guide Australia to victory with five wickets in hand.

Afridi was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, taking 2-22, while Rauf took 2-33.

Australia will be confident of beating New Zealand in the final and winning their first T20 World Cup since 2010.

Here are some of the key talking points from the match:

• Warner's return to form: Warner has been in poor form in recent months, but he showed signs of his old self in the semi-final.
• Wade's match-winning knock: Wade came to the crease with Australia in trouble at 96-4, but he played a brilliant innings to guide his team to victory.
• Afridi's impressive performance: Afridi was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers, taking 2-22. He bowled with great pace and accuracy, and he troubled the Australian batsmen.
• Pakistan's missed opportunities: Pakistan had several chances to win the match, but they let them slip through their fingers.

The T20 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand will be played on Sunday at the MCG. Australia will be looking to win their first T20 World Cup since 2010, while New Zealand will be looking to win their second title.