Looking back, still think Aus made it harder for themselves when bowling by being too funky with the bowling changes in the PP. When you got Starc and Hazlewood and you win the toss in a 6 PM game, you just let them bowl the first 4. Hit test match lengths, test the batsmen outside off and the odd inswinger and see what happens. If the batsmen come at you and get away with it, you still have the 5th and 6th to try your funky tactics. And bowling Hazlewood beyond the 14th when bowling first is just bad captaincy when you got Starc, Cummins, Zampa and even Maxwell in the line up. And Starc bowled a very poor last over when Cummins showed what worked against Zaman. From a batting PoV, it seems Maxwell traded his usual formula of success for Aus, lolbad in IPL to it being the other way around. Steve Smith showed why he is overrated both as a batsman (in this format) and fielder. But I feel one of them will get to bat in their favorite mode in the finals, esp. if tthey win the toss again.
For Pakistan, they are again set up to score 150-170, 180 on a good day and then defend it with their bowling firepower, which is perfect for these conditions. But with dew, those numbers need to be adjusted upwards at least by 10 runs. That opening spell from Shaheen was amazing but they paid the price for not picking another attacking seamer who can bowl in the powerplay. If they have that, they will be a very good side for most conditions in T20 except on smaller grounds and batting tracks. They are still a pretty young team and should get other shots at such titles. Guess we will see how they go. But the way the PCB and most ex-cricketers have reacted and keep coming up with narratives around India and BCCI even when they were clearly the better side in this tournament, does not fill me with much confidence. Rizwan and Shadab though, WAGs.