Australia are hitting the right momentum at right stage: David Warner

An eight-wicket triumph against West Indies earned Australia a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup 2021. It was a sort of virtual qualifier for the Aussies as they were standing in their last league-stage game. With England already qualifying for the knock-out stage and South Africa also being in the contention, the Aaron Finch-led side had to defeat the defending champions to go through.

With West Indies not doing well throughout the tournament, Australia took the field as favourites. However, the Caribbean side had many match-winners in the ranks. As a result, they posted a challenging 157/7 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. However, Australia’s chase went pretty smooth as they crossed the line in just 16.2 overs, winning the contest by eight wickets.

In the end, you need to stay up and above: David Warner

Opener David Warner was the wrecker-in-chief for the Aussie team as he scored an unbeaten 89 off 56 deliveries. Following the conclusion of the contest, Warner addressed the media and said his side is hitting the momentum at the very right stage. “All in all, we are hitting the right momentum at this stage of the tournament. In the end, you need to stay up and above and that’s exactly what we are trying to do,” said the left-handed batter.

Meanwhile, Australian skipper Aaron Finch was also pleased with Warner’s blitzes against the Men in Maroon. “I think the way he (Warner) managed his innings (was impressive). He was able to get off to a flier and allow Mitch Marsh into the game quickly and allow him to take over for a period and then once that partnership was flourishing he took the reins again,” Finch said in the post-match interaction.

“Super player, he has been for a long time. A lot of people doubted him recently. I can’t understand why,” he added.

Australia will now meet the table topper of Group 2 – most likely Pakistan – in the semi-final game. Hence, they must gear up to unleash their best show.

Notably, the Aussie side has five 50-over World Cup titles and a couple of Champion Trophies in their cabinet. However, the T20 World Cup title is still elusive for them. Hence, Aaron Finch’s men would like to end the drought this year.