Australia qualify And big defeat By Pakistan

Pakistan spun a web around Australia's batsmen and a few hours later could celebrate it being enough to secure qualification for the World Twenty20 semi-finals. Though sobered by defeat, the Australians managed to reach the 112 they required to make their qualification for the semis a certainty, while the result also ensured that South Africa were knocked out, regardless of what happened in their final Super Eights match against India.

The 32-run margin to Pakistan meant that India had to win by a wide margin against South Africa in order to elbow their way past Mohammad Hafeez's team into a semi-final spot. Such a scenario would have been undeserved by Raza Hasan and Saeed Ajmal in particular, who tied Australia in the kinds of knots previously unseen at this tournament.

Australia's first loss of the tournament reopened their former doubts when confronted by quality spin on a slow, turning pitch, and also demonstrated the chaos that can ensue if Shane Watson and David Warner do not give the innings a rapid start. Pakistan did not use a paceman until the 18th over of the innings, and other nations can be expected to use similar tactics against Australia for the remainder of the event. In the end it took a half century of considerable composure from Michael Hussey to ensure Australia's qualification.

Their inability to seriously challenge a middling tally will sound a note of warning for Australia's coaches, who also had the odd lapse in the field to ruminate on. Mitchell Starc had pinned Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez lbw with his first ball to push the batsmen onto the defensive, and should also have dismissed Nasir Jamshed for a duck. But Glenn Maxwell dropped the catch at slip, allowing Jamshed to go on to an important 55.

Pakistan's innings went on in fits and starts, pinned down by Starc, Watson and Xavier Doherty, but scoring freely from Pat Cummins and Brad Hogg.

Australia's in-form openers Watson and Warner walked out to face the sort of target they had devoured in previous matches, also aware that reaching 112 would guarantee a higher run-rate than Pakistan and thus a place in the semi-finals. Warner swung Hafeez wide of midwicket for a boundary in the first over and the match seemed likely to follow a familiar path. But Hasan's left-arm spin proved difficult to bully, and Hafeez improved on his start.

Warner might easily have been lbw in the third over to Hafeez, but Pakistan were compensated in the fourth when Hasan pinned Watson in front of leg stump, sweeping. Watson's demise for his lowest score of the tournament by a distance changed the complexion of the chase.