Taken aback by Zimbabwe in their very first match of the championship, the Australians had to scrabble their way back into the tournament with some robust performances.

They were unassailable during their previous two World Cup triumphs, but it’s an unusual story at the ICC World Twenty20. Australia has had to battle its way into the semi-final and is going to give it their all to ensure they earn the world champions tag in the third and most modern format of the game as well.

ICC World Twenty20: Won: 3, Lost: 2

Super Eight - Group F - Australia defeat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets
In spite of playing without their able leader, the mighty Aussies had it rather easy in the repeat of the ICC World Cup 2007 final – defeating them by a convincing 10-wicket margin.

Adam Gilchrist inserted the Lankans into bat, expecting Lee and Bracken to provide the initial breakthroughs. The fast bowlers didn’t disappoint – having Sri Lanka tottering at three down within the first two overs. Jayasuriya was dismissed cheaply and it was game over before it had begun.

Sri Lanka could never gather any momentum, stumbling to a mediocre total of 101 all out, with Stuart Clark finishing with figures of 4/20. Haydo and Gilly didn’t waste any time in getting the runs – it was all over within 11 overs. Rising to the occasion, the Aussies marched into the semi-final with utter ease.

Super Eight - Group F - Pakistan defeated Australia by 6 wickets
Two nights in a row the Pakistani side produced a staggering performance. They managed to restrict the Aussies to a modest total of 164 – young left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir was the pick of the bowlers, ending up with figures of 3/31 from his four overs.

Later, it was the turn of Misbah-ul-Haq and captain Shoaib Malik to guide their team to a colossal victory, especially after they were in totters at 46-4, with their top four batsmen back in the hut. The two batsmen scored unbeaten half-centuries to ensure Pakistan clinched a convincing 6-wicket victory.

Australia had to defeat Sri Lanka in the next match to ensure a place in the semi-final.

Super Eight - Group F - Australia defeat Bangladesh by 9 wickets

It was a complete contrast to how the Asian tigers played against South Africa – they were defensive, while being tested by some top quality Aussie fast bowling.

Brett Lee was immaculate, peppering the inexperienced Bangladeshi batsmen with short pitch stuff and was competently rewarded with the first ever hat-trick in T20 Internationals. Bangladesh couldn’t get past an average total of 123 at the end of twenty overs.

The Australians, as expected, came out in their usual authoritative approach – Matthew Hayden scored an unbeaten 73 from 48 balls. Australia romped home with 7 overs to spare.

Group B - Australia defeat England by 8 wickets

Kevin Pietersen and the rest were hoping to ‘humiliate’ the Australians. At the end of it all, the CWC champions weren’t on the receiving end. It was sheer supremacy on display. Remember, it was a do-or-die encounter for them, to qualify to the Super 8s stage.

Like champion teams do – they responded in style under pressure. Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson picked up three wickets a piece, which was followed by a hammering delivered to the English bowlers by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. Australia won with conviction by 8 wickets and sailed through to the next round.

Group B - Zimbabwe defeat Australia by 5 wickets

A nail-biting last ball thriller resulted in the biggest upset in the history of Twenty20 Internationals. Rusty and underdone Australia were embarrassed by the so-called minnows – Zimbabwe – by five wickets. The hero of the night Brendon Taylor effected one stumping, took two catches, effected a run-out and scored an unbeaten 60 to guide his team to victory.

At the end of the match, Ricky Ponting said "We need to respect the game a little more". He was referring the lack of seriousness in the Australian camp regarding the ICC World Twenty20 and the newest format of the game in general.

Taken aback by Zimbabwe in their very first match of the championship, the Australians had to scrabble their way back into the tournament with some robust performances.

They were unassailable during their previous two World Cup triumphs, but it’s an unusual story at the ICC World Twenty20. Australia has had to battle its way into the semi-final and is going to give it their all to ensure they earn the world champions tag in the third and most modern format of the game as well.

ICC World Twenty20: Won: 3, Lost: 2

Super Eight - Group F - Australia defeat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets
In spite of playing without their able leader, the mighty Aussies had it rather easy in the repeat of the ICC World Cup 2007 final – defeating them by a convincing 10-wicket margin.

Adam Gilchrist inserted the Lankans into bat, expecting Lee and Bracken to provide the initial breakthroughs. The fast bowlers didn’t disappoint – having Sri Lanka tottering at three down within the first two overs. Jayasuriya was dismissed cheaply and it was game over before it had begun.

Sri Lanka could never gather any momentum, stumbling to a mediocre total of 101 all out, with Stuart Clark finishing with figures of 4/20. Haydo and Gilly didn’t waste any time in getting the runs – it was all over within 11 overs. Rising to the occasion, the Aussies marched into the semi-final with utter ease.

Super Eight - Group F - Pakistan defeated Australia by 6 wickets
Two nights in a row the Pakistani side produced a staggering performance. They managed to restrict the Aussies to a modest total of 164 – young left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir was the pick of the bowlers, ending up with figures of 3/31 from his four overs.

Later, it was the turn of Misbah-ul-Haq and captain Shoaib Malik to guide their team to a colossal victory, especially after they were in totters at 46-4, with their top four batsmen back in the hut. The two batsmen scored unbeaten half-centuries to ensure Pakistan clinched a convincing 6-wicket victory.

Australia had to defeat Sri Lanka in the next match to ensure a place in the semi-final.

Super Eight - Group F - Australia defeat Bangladesh by 9 wickets

It was a complete contrast to how the Asian tigers played against South Africa – they were defensive, while being tested by some top quality Aussie fast bowling.

Brett Lee was immaculate, peppering the inexperienced Bangladeshi batsmen with short pitch stuff and was competently rewarded with the first ever hat-trick in T20 Internationals. Bangladesh couldn’t get past an average total of 123 at the end of twenty overs.

The Australians, as expected, came out in their usual authoritative approach – Matthew Hayden scored an unbeaten 73 from 48 balls. Australia romped home with 7 overs to spare.

Group B - Australia defeat England by 8 wickets

Kevin Pietersen and the rest were hoping to ‘humiliate’ the Australians. At the end of it all, the CWC champions weren’t on the receiving end. It was sheer supremacy on display. Remember, it was a do-or-die encounter for them, to qualify to the Super 8s stage.

Like champion teams do – they responded in style under pressure. Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson picked up three wickets a piece, which was followed by a hammering delivered to the English bowlers by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. Australia won with conviction by 8 wickets and sailed through to the next round.

Group B - Zimbabwe defeat Australia by 5 wickets

A nail-biting last ball thriller resulted in the biggest upset in the history of Twenty20 Internationals. Rusty and underdone Australia were embarrassed by the so-called minnows – Zimbabwe – by five wickets. The hero of the night Brendon Taylor effected one stumping, took two catches, effected a run-out and scored an unbeaten 60 to guide his team to victory.

At the end of the match, Ricky Ponting said "We need to respect the game a little more". He was referring the lack of seriousness in the Australian camp regarding the ICC World Twenty20 and the newest format of the game in general.