Potential dream final between India & Pakistan has Australia great excited

Rohit Sharma’s side takes on England in Adelaide on Thursday in a battle between the top two teams on the T20I Team Rankings, while Pakistan will have to conquer in-form New Zealand at the SCG on Wednesday if they are to reach the title decider.

Pakistan’s chances of even reaching the semi-finals looked forlorn at the start of the day on Sunday, but the Netherlands’ upset victory over South Africa provided Babar Azam’s side the opportunity to clinch an unlikely semi-final berth.

A hard-fought five-wicket victory over Bangladesh helped Pakistan clinch that last spot in the semis and Watson believes the chances of a dream final between the two biggest rivals in cricket now looms as a strong possibility.

“Everyone would love to see Pakistan and India in the final,” an excited Watson said at the SCG on Monday.

“I unfortunately missed that first (Super 12) game at the MCG as I commentated the game previously between Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

“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,” said Watson.

“They played in the T20 World Cup final in 2007 and everyone would love to see it again,” he said.

Standing in Pakistan’s way first and foremost is a battle against Kane Williamson’s New Zealand and Watson is expecting the battle between the Kiwis dynamic opener Finn Allen and Pakistan’s bevy of quality fast bowlers to have a major say in the outcome of the cut-throat clash.

But Watson believes the fact Pakistan had all but given up on earning a spot in the semi-finals prior

to Sunday’s games may actually work in their favour as it will allow them to play with more freedom.

“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,” Watson noted.

“Especially when they weren’t expecting to make the semis because of the way they played at certain times throughout this tournament,” he said.

“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,” Watson added.