Australia qualified for the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan at SuperSport Park on Wednesday thanks to a last-ball bye.
The defending champions, having won the toss and restricted Pakistan to 205-6 off 50 overs, appeared to be coasting home on 140 for three with 112 balls to face.
But the Pakistani bowlers came alive, wickets tumbled and Australia entered the final over needing four runs to win.
PHOTO: EPA
Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz picked off singles against superb bowling from Umar Gul and tight fielding to reach 206-8 in a thrilling finish.
Michael Hussey top scored with 64 and Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson took two wickets each for the Aussies, who face England today in the semi-finals with Pakistan meeting New Zealand tomorrow.
Pakistan were never comfortable on a seam-friendly wicket and openers Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi had made only 30 when the partnership was terminated.
Afridi played a pull off Johnson and James Hopes covered ground quickly to take the catch.
Kamran also paid dearly for attempting a pull off Watson as the ball took a bottom edge into his leg stump to leave Pakistan 75-2. Skipper Younus Khan was the third Pakistani victim after taking 49 balls to garner 18 runs.
Johnson dismissed Shoaib Malik who attempted a drive only to send the ball straight to Ponting at short cover.
Mohammed Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq consolidated the innings with a 63-run fifth-wicket stand before the former was caught by Cameroon White off Lee.
For Australia, Watson hit a brisk 24 before Gul deceived him and he edged to Kamran. Fellow opener Tim Paine departed three overs later, trapped leg before by Afridi before Ponting and Hussey added 81 for the third wicket.
Ponting made 32 before a spectacular Gul catch off a Shoaib delivery sent him back to the pavilion.
Callum Ferguson made just seven off 18 balls before he was bowled by Saeed Ajmal. A Rana Naved yorker proved the undoing of Hussey, who could not get his bat down sufficiently quickly and was bowled having faced 87 balls.
Meanwhile, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra shared six wickets as India beat West Indies by seven wickets but still went out of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday.
India failed to advance to the semi-finals from Group A, ending the group stage with a single victory while West Indies lost all three of their matches.
India skittled the Windies for 129 in 36 overs, with seamer Kumar capturing three for 22 and left-armer Nehra taking three for 31.
In reply, India cruised to 130 for three off 32.1 overs thanks to a second-wicket stand of 92 from Dinesh Karthik (34) and Virat Kohli who finished unbeaten on 79.
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