Pakistan vs Australia - 4 key battles | ICC T20 World Cup 2021

#3 Babar Azam vs Josh Hazelwood

Pakistan v Scotland - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

Funny how in a team with pacers such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood has managed to emerge as the best of the bunch. His 8 wickets have come at an economy rate of 6.88 and a strike rate of 12.00.

The thing with Hazelwood is that he is not very good at the death. But his initial burst of swing at the powerplay and an even better midovers spell is where he is at his best. And that is exactly where he will run into Babar Azam.

The Pakistan skipper is in the form of his life and has played wonderfully so far this T20 WC. A minimally risky approach at the start, followed by stepping into the gears once he has gotten his eye in, has returned dividends for his team well.

In the same way as Warner has to be neutralized by Pakistan's pacers, so must Babar be kept quiet by Australia's quicks. It is not an easy job, but someone has to do it and Hazelwood is best suited for the job.

# Mitchell Marsh-Marcus Stoinis vs Asif Ali-Shoaib Malik

Pakistan v New Zealand - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

As important as the opening and middle overs are, the death is where things really happen. Both teams will depend a whole lot on their finishers and all-rounders to deliver in this game.

This is all the more exciting because both sets of batsmen are in fantastic form coming into this match. Asif Ali has scored 54 runs at a strike rate of 224 and is yet to be dismissed even once. Shoaib Malik has scored 99 runs meanwhile and has gotten out just once.

Mitchell Marsh, for his part, has looked good whenever he has come out to bat, scoring 53 off 32 balls in the last game. Marcus Stoinis, meanwhile, has scored 40 runs wiithout getting dismissed yet. Maxwell's IPL form has not yet been replicated but mostly he just hasn't had a chance to show it.

Both teams are confident in their abilities and will back themselves to score heavily in the final phase. That's why whoever wins this battle is bound to get an advantage in the match and win a ticket to the final.