 When Hussey came to the crease his team were 105-5 from 12.3 overs |
Australia's penultimate-ball win against Pakistan in the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 was exciting a finish I have ever seen. In terms of overturning a likely result - the game was nailed on for a Pakistan win - but Australia somehow did it and they will now believe they can win anything. It has to be the most remarkable finish I've seen. It was was purely single-handed from Mike Hussey, who hit 60 off 24 deliveries, it was audacious, thrilling and the last thing England will have wanted to see. England and Australia now face each other in Sunday's final in Barbados at 1630 BST, which is live on BBC Radio 5 Live and Test Match Special. Friday's result will make more purists look at Twenty20 and think 'there must be more to this than I thought' if old fuddy-duddies like me are getting this excited about it, and anyone who loves cricket will have marvelled at the way this Hussey fellow did it. Poor old Pakistan will feel like they've been robbed but I don't think in terms of tactics they could have done anything different. This was one man's moment, an absolutely astonishing performance. You look back at areas where they might have done thing differently and I just don't think there were any. Even with one over to go they hadn't lost it.  | 606: DEBATE |
Mike Hussey has always had great confidence - he's outgoing, a great team man and is genuinely very popular with his team-mates. He's not a big hitter, but he can hit sixes and they were all cultured shots, none of them were slogs. It was rather like watching Mahela Jayawardene - they play their natural games, just with greater intensity. That's what makes Twenty20 so exciting, one person's brilliance can win a match, yet it can also make it a bit of a lottery at times. We are very lucky in cricket to have three formats that all appeal and we should embrace that. There should be none of this talk about which one is best. Anyone who saw that finish cannot fail to have been captivated by it. Of course apart from Hussey everybody was off for Australia. The bowling was indifferent, they were rattled in the field and virtually every time they threw at the stumps they missed. It was nothing like the performances we've seen from them throughout the tournament. This won't change anything about England's preparations for the final really, they will just have the reinforced knowledge that Australia can win from anywhere. In some ways it might be a good thing because if England think they have got the match in their pockets it will act as a reminder: "Do not relax, do not let the pressure release for a second." Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Jamie Lillywhite.
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