Australia successfully executed another astonishing semi-final run chase to beat Pakistan by five wickets and join New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final.
New Zealand had stunned England in the first semi on Thursday, and Australia followed suit thanks to Matthew Wade's unbeaten 41 off 17, taking the match away from Pakistan just as they looked to be in the driving seat.
As in the encounter between the Black Caps and England, momentum swung back and forth in an epic at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Australia won the toss and decided to bowl, but David Warner and Adam Zampa each dropped early half-chances from Mohammad Rizwan, who capitalised to score 67 in building big partnerships with Babar Azam (39) and Fakhar Zaman (55 not out).
Zaman hit seven boundaries, including four sixes, off just 32 balls to ensure a big finish and a total of 176-4, and Pakistan were in the ascendancy as Shaheen Shah Afridi (1-35) then made a blistering start with the ball, removing Aaron Finch for a duck and seeing Mitchell Marsh survive only by umpire's call from the very next delivery.
But the depth of Australia's batting line-up kept them in with a shout as they were left with enough depth even after David Warner (49) fell to Shadab Khan (4-26).
A mammoth undefeated partnership of 81 off just 41 deliveries between Wade and Marcus Stoinis (40 no) got the job done, although it should have been halted by Hasan Ali, who dropped Wade off Afridi in the middle of the 19th over.
Wade's response was ruthless, sending the next three balls for six to complete an outstanding pursuit on 177-5 with six balls to spare.
Rizwan rockets to runs record
Babar – this stadium's leading T20I run scorer – already had four fifties at this tournament, a joint-record at a single T20 World Cup, and he looked on course for a new benchmark until Zampa intervened at the end of the 10th over.
Rather than slow Pakistan, though, that wicket set the stage for an innings-defining second-wicket stand from Rizwan and Zaman, who combined for 72 off 46, including 21 in the 17th over alone.
Zaman's big hitting caught the eye, but Rizwan's four sixes helped take him to 1,000 T20I runs in 2021. He is the first player to reach four figures in a single calendar year.
Hapless Hasan lets Wade win it
Shadab was a rare positive with the ball for Pakistan, becoming only the second bowler to take four wickets in a T20 World Cup semi or final after Ajantha Mendis' 4-12 in the 2012 decider. His bowling economy of 6.50 was far and away his side's best effort.
Even his other misfiring team-mates paled next to Hasan, who must have thought his evening could get no worse after giving up 11 runs an over after using his full quota.
But Hasan's attempts to make amends saw him make up good ground to get under a ball from Wade, only to run too far, let the chance slip through his hands and watch on in despair as the batsman took the tournament away from a previously unbeaten Pakistan side.
West Indies can rekindle magic of 2012 and 2016 at T20 World Cup, says Pooran
Nicholas Pooran says West Indies are desperate to recapture the magic of 2012 and 2016 at this year's T20 World Cup, as they target a third title at the tournament.
The Windies are one of only two teams, alongside England (2010 and 2022) to win multiple 20-over world crowns, having gone back-to-back when now-head coach Daren Sammy was captain in 2012 and 2016.
They will co-host this year's tournament alongside the United States, with Papua New Guinea their opponents for their opening Group C match on Sunday.
West Indies failed to advance beyond the first round when Pooran was skipper at the 2022 tournament, finishing bottom of a group containing Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland.
Pooran is no longer captain, having passed that honour onto Rovman Powell, but he is determined to play a part in bringing back the feel-good factor.
"Coming back in here after two years, everybody wants to get that special feeling we had when we won those two T20 World Cups," Pooran told ESPNcricinfo.
"I feel like everybody wants that moment again. They want to be a part of that winning feeling. Doing it in front of our fans is even more special."
Pooran's 1,848 T20I runs are the most accumulated by any player to make the Windies' squad for this year's World Cup, as are his 88 T20I matches played.
He is certain they have improved since the last edition of the tournament, adding: "We all have grown as players, as team-mates as well.
"When we played in Australia where we didn't qualify, everyone was hurt. I resigned from captaincy after that. Everyone was hurt, but we are no longer that group of guys.
"We all know what's at stake here. We all know that we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves, to make our cricket fans in the Caribbean and our cricket fans all over the world proud of us.
"This time around we are much better players as well. Most of our guys that play franchise cricket, they understand what is needed to be a professional."
Pooran enters the tournament after scoring 499 runs in this season's Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants.
He scored those runs at a superb average of 62.37, which was the best mark achieved by any player, and had a strike-rate of 178.21, helped by smashing 36 sixes.
Captains light up iconic Rockefeller Centre Building as ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 set to begin Saturday
World Cup cricket has officially arrived in the United States, with the historic opening match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 between USA and Canada at Grand Prairie Stadium set to open the ninth edition of the event on Saturday.
The final 24 hours ahead of the opening match in Texas saw cricket being beamed to new audiences across America like never before as the country prepares to co-host an ICC World Cup event for the first time.
Headlining the excitement, was a lighting projection show that featured all 20 captains of the largest ICC Men's T20 World Cup ever on to the Rockefeller Centre Building in New York City. Each of the captains from the four groups were featured above the busy streets of Manhattan on the facade of 30 Rockefeller.
Ahead of the NBA Finals Series, Bangladesh and India captains Rohit Sharma and Najmul Shanto were able to pick-up the famous Larry O'Brien Trophy as part of a collaboration with the league.
Both captains were getting their first look at the 34,000 seat Nassau County International Stadium ahead of Saturday's warm-up fixture at the same venue.
Sabalenka soars past best friend Badosa and into French Open last 16
Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to eventually advance to the French Open last 16 a commanding 7-5 6-1 victory over best friend Paula Badosa.
The second seed trailed 4-2 and was a break down in the opening set, but went on to win 11 of the next 13 games to seal a fourth-round clash with either Madison Keys or Emma Navarro.
Sabalenka has dropped just seven games in her opening two matches at Roland-Garros.
Although, it looked like she may lose the opening set when a fortuitous net shot gave Badosa a second break and a 4-2 lead on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
However, she dug deep from 5-3 adrift, winning the last four games to draw first blood.
The reigning Australian Open champion broke her opponent a further two times on the way to a commanding 4-0 advantage in the second.
Badosa did well to save three match points from 0-40 in game six, but the Spaniard could not rescue a fourth as her opponent continued her surge into the second week.
Data Debrief: Sabalenka completes top four in last 16
Following on from her victories when they met in Miami and Stuttgart earlier this season, Sabalenka became the first player to beat Badosa three times at WTA events in a calendar year.
Joining Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, this marks the first time since 2013 that the top four seeds are through to the last 16 in the women's singles at Roland-Garros.
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