T20 World Cup 2021: Matthew Wade’s hat-trick of sixes off Shaheen Afridi take Australia to final

 Wade literally did a Michael Hussey to break Pakistan's 16-match winning streak in the UAE.

              

Matthew Wade is a national hero right now. He did exactly what Michael Hussey had done 11 years ago in St Lucia to Saeed Ajmal. This time Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s best bowler of the tournament, was at the receiving end of the assault. With 18 runs needed off nine balls, Wade turned the game on its ahead smashing three consecutive maximums to leave Australian fans into frenzy. 

Well all this happened after he had offered a catch in the deep to Hasan Ali who ran in well to cover the ground and fluffed the catch. What followed off the next three balls was carnage and absolutely unexpected for everyone. Matthew Wade’s place was always questioned in the lead up to the World Cup especially batting down the order but when it mattered the most, the man showed his range and his steely nerves.

As for the sixes, it started with the southpaw taking the bowler by surprise playing a scoop shot to the perfection. He got low very early and put his bat just in time and the ball traveled thanks to the pace on it. He was used to doing it in the Big Bash League (BBL) and that experience came good for him on the day.

The equation then came down to 12 runs off the last eight balls and Pakistan still had a chance but probably pressure got to Shaheen Afridi. He landed one on length right into the batter’s arc and Matthew Wade wasn’t in the mood to give another chance to the opposition. He launched that delivery into the stands to literally dash Pakistan’s hopes.

Yet another scoop and Australia create history

With only six runs needed off seven balls, the shoulders were down for Pakistan and Afridi as well. Matthew Wade was looking confident but then, nobody yet again expected for him to finish the game with a six, surely not with another scoop. Well, it was his day and the man once again played the scoop shot with utmost precision to stunningly take his side over the line with one over in hand.

All the three sixes were absolutely classic and the perfect example of how T20 Cricket has changed batting. Well, not many had thought the Trans-Tasman rivals (Australia and New Zealand) would be playing the final of the T20 World Cup in Asia. This is what World Cup brings, the thrill and excitement and it will all unfold on November 14 as we are set to have a new champion in the shortest format of the game.