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Centurion: Australia exploited a spongy track to restrict Pakistan to a modest 205 for six in a crucial Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament.

Put into bat, opener Kamran Akmal (44), Mohammad Yousuf (45) and Misbah-ul Haq (41) provided a semblance of resistance on a tricky Centurion pitch to leave the Aussies to score at 4.10 runs per over to secure a berth in the semi-finals.

The result of the game has a huge bearing on India's fortune in the tournament as an Australian victory will ensure an early ouster for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men.

Akmal's knock, during which he struck six boundaries, helped Pakistan recover from early jolts, while Yousuf tried to hold the innings together with a defiant 69-ball 45.

Pakistan started on an attacking note with Shahid Afridi, promoted to open the batting, cracking two boundaries off Australia paceman Peter Siddle in the second over of the innings.

But Afridi (15), who struck three bounderies during his brief 18-ball stay, failed to make it big and became the first man to depart when his ambitious pull off Mitchell Johnson (2-45) found James Hopes in square leg region in the eighth over.

Other opener Akmal then paired up with skipper Younis Khan (18 off 49) to stitch up a 45-run partnership for the second wicket, before Shane Watson sent Akmal packing in the 19th over.

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