Aaron Finch’s Australia will face Pakistan led by Babar Azam in the second semi-final of the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai on Thursday. Australia finished second in Group 1 with four wins in 5 games. Their only loss, which was heavy, came against England and as a result they had to depend on the net run rate – South Africa was breathing their necks – to seal the qualification. Despite some wobbling, Finch’s men performed well. The biggest bright spot for the team was David Warner’s return to form. After a scorching IPL in 2021, Warner played the brand of cricket he is known for.

Despite being in good shape in the mega-clash, the Australians know they will face a tall order from the formidable and undefeated Azam’s Pakistan. They surprised everyone with consistency and many praise the “Men in Green” to go all the way? Can the powerful Australians stop Pakistan’s journey?

Before the showdown begins, let’s take a look at Australia’s Predicted XI vs Pakistan:

1) David Warner: Warner of the old is back and that’s great news for the Australian side. Warner has been the team’s top scorer so far with 187 points. In addition, he enters the match after scoring an impressive and unbeaten 86 (out of 59 balls) against the West Indies. Once he’s gone, there’s no way to stop the dynamic southpaw.

2) Aaron Finch (C): The Australian skipper was the only warrior on the team with the bat against England and other than that he showed glimpses of the fine touch. So far, he has added 130 points to his prize pool and plays an important role at the top with Warner.

3) Mitchell Marsh: He started off slowly but has picked up very well in the recent past. He has scored an impressive half-century against the West Indies and his prowess on the pitch is an added advantage for the team. He is reportedly looking to play big against Pakistan in Dubai on Thursday.

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4) Glenn Maxwell: After a prolific IPL in 2021, high expectations were high from Maxwell. Despite the captivating right-hander wowing crowds with a few of his funky hits, Maxwell has yet to play big innings. But be aware that if he finds his mojo, he can take any bowler to the cleaner.

5) Steven Smith: He’s probably been the team’s most disappointing player so far, but the fact that Finch has stuck with Smith, the eccentric hitter is likely to hold his place. It is high time for Smith to surrender his leader’s faith.

6) Marcus Stoinis: Heavy hitter Stoinis finished Australia’s game against South Africa in their first Super 12 clash. If so, he could have to play a similar role against Pakistan. He surely has the armory to do it

7) Matthew Wade (WK): It packs a punch, says Matthew Wade. His work behind the gloves has been a relief for Captain Finch and we all know the potential Wade holds with the bat. It can be a small unit but it can hit a long ball.

8) Pat Cummins: Like Smith, Cummins also didn’t live up to expectations as well as he would have liked. Neither of them took too many and didn’t score many points. Can he change that today?

9) Mitchell Starc: The dangerous left-arm race leader has done a few races in the UAE at times, but has also been one of the wickets. He has 7 in his chat so far and there is no doubt that he would be looking to add a few more in Dubai.

10) Adam Zampa: Zampa is organizing a memorable tournament. With 11 scalps in 5 games, he is currently Australia’s best bowler and is second in the list behind Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga (16). Since SL is eliminated and Zampa could play 2 games (if they win in Australia), he could end with the most wickets.

11) Josh Hazlewood: The right-arm point guard has been one of the impressive bowlers so far for the Australians. With 8 wickets, he is so far the second most successful pitcher on the team. His power-play exploits can determine the team’s result

Australia predicted XI against Pakistan: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (week), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood