Johannesburg: A power-packed performance by Pakistan saw them clinch a thriller against Australia by six wickets in their second Super Eights encounter and seal a semi-final berth in the Twenty20 World Cup here.

Chasing 165 to win, Pakistan bounced back from a disastrous start as skipper Shoaib Malik (52) and Misbah-ul Haq (66) tore through the Australian attack to post their second victory, with five balls to spare, in as many matches in Group F of Super Eights.

The win means Pakistan are through to the semifinals as they had earlier beaten Sri Lanka and have one match left against Bangladesh. Australia with one win against Bangladesh will have to beat Sri Lanka to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Malik combined for a dazzling 119-run unbroken fifth wicket stand in 78 balls after Pakistan were left reeling at 46 for four at one point. Stuart Clark (3-27) doing the damage, taking three wickets in his first seven deliveries.

Man-of-the match Misbah smashed 66 off 42 balls that included seven boundaries and one six, while skipper Malik chipped in with 52 in 38 balls, cracking four boundaries and one six.

The nerve-wracking match was going at run-a-ball equation till the second last over when Misbah chose to hit the tournament s longest six off Nathan Bracken that brought the equation down to five runs in nine balls.

Earlier, young left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir claimed 3-31 in four overs to keep restrict the Australia to 164-7.