LIVE: Australia chasing 83 after bowlers shine against Pakistan

Match Centre and Scorecard

Australia are cruising in search of 83 to win after their bowlers put in an impressive showing to bowl out Pakistan for 82 in Dubai.

There was an early blow for Australia in the game as they lost pace bowler Tayla Vlaeminck to a shoulder injury picked up in the field.

But the depleted Australian bowling attack nevertheless proved tough for Pakistan to handle, as they took a stranglehold on the Group A contest.

Ashleigh Gardner returned excellent figures of 4/21, while there were also wickets for Georgia Wareham 2/16, Megan Schutt 1/7, Sophie Molineux 1/19 and Annabel Sutherland 2/15.

Only four Pakistan batters reached double figures, with Aliya Riaz top-scoring with a defiant 26 (off 32 balls) from number six.

The story of the first innings

Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

And the defending champions picked up two wickets in the powerplay to restrict Pakistan to 23/2 in the opening six overs.

WATCH: Powerplay double strike keeps Pakistan in check

Muneeba Ali was the first to go, lofting a catch to Phoebe Litchfield off Sophie Molineux for 7, and Sadaf Shamas soon joined her back in the dugout, caught behind off Megan Schutt for 3.

There was a setback for Australia though, with Tayla Vlaeminck forced from the field due to an injury she picked up off just the fourth ball of the innings.

Unfortunate injury forces Vlaeminck off the field

Australia showed their impressive depth in quality as they picked up two further wickets with their change bowlers.

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland had opener Sidra Amin (12) trapped in-front, and Georgia Wareham removed Omaima Sohail (3) to leave Pakistan four down and in need of something special to build a competitive score.

WATCH: Aliya Riaz gives Pakistan impetus

Pakistan’s resistance appeared all-but over when Nida Dar (10) was stumped by Healy off Wareham, but Aliya Riaz had other ideas, taking the game long.

A three-wicket over from Gardner left Pakistan on the brink, and Sutherland finished the job as Riaz was finally dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings for 26.

Gardner triple strike stings Pakistan tail

Australia would put one foot in the semi-finals with a win over Pakistan, who will need a win from one of their final two matches to stand a chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Pakistan are without captain Fatima Sana after she flew back home following the death of her father on Thursday.

The Teams

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Phoebe Litchfield, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Tayla Vlaeminck, Megan Schutt

Pakistan XI: Muneeba Ali (capt & wk), Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Sadaf Shamas, Aliya Riaz, Iram Javed, Tuba Hassan, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal, Syeda Aroob Shah, Omaima Sohail

The T20 World Cup will see 23 matches held in total over 18 days, with all matches in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah.

Fans can purchase tickets online or directly at the stadiums, for more information on where to buy click here.