The parallel tales of two tantalizing semi finals..

Wins from close to unwinnable situations in World Cup semi-finals on two successive days is not every day's treat. The four best teams in the World Cup served up two fabulous knockout matches which went all the way down to the wire. New Zealand and Australia came out victorious after being on the brink for most parts of their respective matches. The contest between bat and ball was so rich that it was unfair that only two of them could win and go through. Cricket being a game of margins is not a cliche but apart from a couple of missed catches in both the games, we must agree on the fact that New Zealand and Australia did a lot more to win than England and Pakistan did to lose. Twenty 20 is a funny game and these two games were perfect examples of how a handful of deliveries decide the result of the match. 

Two different venues, four teams with different approaches, and yet the matches were so parallel, it is quite remarkable and unbelievable. With similar scores in the first halves of the matches and heavy momentum with the bowling team until the 15th over of the 2nd innings, England and Pakistan could almost smell the World Cup trophy. If it was Liam Livingstone for England, Shadab did it for Pakistan as far as taking wickets in the middle overs was concerned. The turning points on both days were probably the two missed catches which almost had direct impacts on the outcomes. Whether it was Jonny Bairstow failing to stay inside the boundary trying to catch out Jimmy Neesham or it was Hasan Ali letting an easy one go straight through his hands in an attempt to say goodbye to Matthew Wade, it did make them regret soon after watching the ball fly to all parts of the ground. Warner provided the base and Stoinis kept one end intact while Daryl Mitchell did a similar, perhaps a better job for New Zealand on the previous day. Matthew Wade did to Pakistan what Jimmy Neesham did to the favorites in front an adoring fan base.

The two matches were so symbolically similar that it was almost like how exam papers of two kids next to each other would look like.

These two matches also reminded us of how impossible it is to predict the result in this format. There is no favourite in twenty 20 cricket. It is so volatile that it can be decided in a couple of overs as was the case on both these days. The red hot favourites England were knocked out by the good guys and the most in form team were knocked out by a team that had all sorts of issues before the tournament. When asked who would New Zealand prefer, Ian Smith said he wouldn't care but would be lovely if Aussies were left for them to settle some business after being bullied for all these years. We have learnt that New Zealand are a tournament team. They just have enough to make it all the way almost every time but Australians know how to win trophies and get past the final hurdle. What is already exciting though, is that there will be a first time champion crowned on Sunday night.