Everyone would love to see India-Pakistan final again after 2007, says Shane Watson. With India and Pakistan qualifying for the semifinals of Men’s T20 World Cup, a dream final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday between the arch-rivals now looms as a strong possibility, which has left former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson excited.
In the semifinal, India will clash with England on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval, a day after Pakistan take on New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The two teams had clashed in the Group 2 match in front of a sell-out MCG on October 23, where Virat Kohli’s iconic 82 not out had taken India over the line on the last ball of the chase.
“Everyone would love to see Pakistan and India in the final. I unfortunately missed that first (Super 12) game at the MCG, as I commentated the game previously between Australia and New Zealand (at SCG a day before).
“But from all reports, all the people that went along to that game said it was something very special and the game was obviously an amazing game to watch on TV as well. They played in the T20 World Cup final in 2007 and everyone would love to see it again,” Watson was quoted as saying by the official website of the tournament.
New Zealand, the Group 1 table-toppers, have been in-form in all departments of the game. Pakistan, on the other hand, won three matches on the trot after losing the first two matches and were given a lifeline by Netherlands beating South Africa to make an entry into the last-four stage.
Watson feels that Pakistan will be very dangerous to face-off against for New Zealand in the semifinals. “There are certain times in all tournaments where a team just falls across the line and somehow finds its way into the finals and then goes on to win it. Especially when they weren’t expecting to make the semis because of the way they played at certain times throughout this tournament.
“The freedom they are going to have after not expecting much in the middle of the tournament, so the freedom they are going to have is going to be very dangerous for the Kiwis.”
