Five memorable moments from the Pakistan-Australia match that don't fade away

Pakistan took on Australia in what was a must-win encounter for the former as the group stages of the World Cup reach its climax. New Zealand have already qualified for the semi-finals while Bangladesh have been eliminated, which left India, Australia and Pakistan fighting for one spot.

While India have won twice, Pakistan and Australia have won one apiece, with the latter having a game in hand. However, Pakistan failed to achieve a win in a match they had no room for a let-off. A late surge from Afridi gave the fans hope, but James Faulkner’s beautiful spell ensured Australia kept their 2016 World T20 campaign alive.

There were several unforgettable moments throughout the match that don’t fade away, quite like the Axe Signature line of body perfumes. Here are 5 moments which will remain in the fans' memories for a long time:

Wahab Riaz’s furious start

This was the first time Wahab Riaz faced Australia after his terrific spell in the 2015 World Cup— something that earned him rave reviews. Some described it as the best display of aggressive pace bowling in a World Cup as Shane Watson could do nothing but blindly swing the bat and hope for the best.

Even though Pakistan lost the game eventually, watching Wahab Riaz face the same team once again today generated a lot of excitement. And he didn’t disappoint. He was the best bowler among the pacers. He might have been welcomed by a six by Usman Khawaja, but he came back well to finish his first spell with 2/17 in 2 overs.

The stumps of the in-form Khawaja and the ever-dangerous David Warner, were clattered through Riaz's sheer pace.

Shane Watson’s wrath

This time, Shane Watson wasn’t going to get Wahab Riaz bully him again. One could almost feel Watson’s hunger to take vengeance for the brutality he faced from the hands of Wahab Riaz in the 2015 World Cup.

And with 44 runs in just 21 balls—an innings which consisted of four fours and three sixes—he made Pakistan taste the bitter pill of revenge as his bat. Wahab Riaz got smacked for 13 runs in the 7 balls he bowled to Watson, in an event that was totally opposite of what happened the previous time they faced each other.

Steven Smith’s courage

On the other end was Steven Smith. While he is one of the best batsmen in the world, his T20I career statistics are somewhat of a disappointment in comparison to his ODI and Test numbers. However, today, he showed his class by playing a match-defining innings of 61 in 43 balls.

However, his innings will be remembered for his 1 orthodox shot off Wahab Riaz. He crowned this magnificent performance with a notorious shot as he stood way outside off-stump, exposing all three stumps to the bowler. Riaz bowled it way wide on the off side, he managed to steer the ball on the leg side for a boundary.

It has to be said, though, that the bowler should have aimed at the leg stump instead of falling in Smith’s trap and following him. But, nonetheless, Smith’s execution was perfect, making it a moment that won’t fade away.

Boom-Boom Shoaib Malik

When you read the term ‘Boom, boom,’ you would normally expect the words ‘Shahid Afridi’ to follow. However, another Pakistani has taken that spot after his incredible display of classy hitting. Shoaib Malik is someone who is known for his superb technique and steely temperament—someone who can be relied on to bat till the end while building an innings.

However, circumstances of today didn’t allow him the time to build an innings. And so he went gung-ho. Facing just 20 balls, he smacked a vicious 40 runs, making us see the aggressive version of Malik that has stayed quiet for a while now. His innings included 2 maximums and as many fours.

Ultimately, his incredible knock went in vain as Australia won the game by 21 runs thanks to a…

Faulkner's 5-for

James Faulkner is one of the handiest, yet underrated, players in the world of cricket. He doesn’t come off as a superstar, someone who falls in the limelight, simply because he isn’t a flashy player like, say, Shane Watson.

However, his role in the team is just as important as he provides some quick runs batting deep, but, most importantly, bowls some incredible spells to tilt a game in his team’s favour. And that is just what he did today. As Shoaib Malik and Khalid Latif was marching rampantly towards the target, James Faulkner took charge.

He managed to get Latif and Imad Wasim out in consecutive balls. His figures at the end of the match read 4-0-27-5, which earned him the man of the match award, ensuring his performance won’t fade away for a long time to come.