By Kris Srikanth
The Aussie jigsaw is fi nally falling in place and that’s not good news for the other sides. Pakistan, on the other hand, have discovered their touch as well. It will all be good to call it a close contest, but I think the hosts should pull this off without much ado. Every knockout game is a high pressure contest and Australia is used to the big stage more than any other side. Barring the erratic form of Mitchell Johnson, all the other areas of their game seem to be under control. The absence of Mohammad Irfan is a body blow that could hurt Pakistan’s chances in a big way. The lanky speedster had contributed in no small means towards the resurgence of Pakistan. He ushered in the vital breakthrough that paved way for the four wins on the trot. More importantly, the bounce on offer in Australian wickets made him a difficult bowler to handle.
He could have been the decisive factor and the Pakistan attack looks to have lost its cutting edge without him.The top-order for Australia is in good form with every batsman having a good score under his belt. If Pakistan has any chance of causing an upset, their bowlers have to be spot on throughout the game.
