Shock therapy: Learnings from the two upsets

Zimbabwe seem to be making a habit of this; they had also beaten Australia in their very first official international match, at the 1983 World Cup.
The Windies are now out of the T20 World Cup, and the Aussies face a make-or-break match against England to stay in contention. In the run-up to the Cup, while selectors around the world were busy packing their sides with Twenty20 specialists, the Australians had held out.A good player is good in any format, they insisted, retaining virtually the same side that won the 50-overs World Cup earlier this year (ironic, considering the Aussies were the first to have two separate sides, and captains, for Tests and ODIs).
It would be foolish to write off the Aussies. They might just win every match that follows, and eventually claim the trophy. Still, there's now a question mark over their strategy of not picking T20 specialists. Their fortunes from here on could decide whether more teams adopt their model, or whether it gets junked altogether. Meanwhile, there are some other clear learnings that have emerged from the two matches.
1) There's a role for bowlers
The inaugural match between the West Indies and South Africa seemed to have confirmed cricket lovers' fears that there was no need for bowlers to turn up, a bowling machine would do just as well. Subsequent matches have shown that those fears may have been exaggerated. Sure, bowlers will get hammered on a benign pitch. But that would be true in any format. Give them helpful conditions, though, and they come right back into the picture. Watching a gentle trundler like Guy Brent hustle through four overs while conceding just 19 runs and picking up two wickets was a fantastic sight for all non-Australian fans. Later, when Australia fielded, they clearly missed the guile of Brad Hogg. Against the Windies, Syed Rasel gave away just 10 runs in four overs, and also got Chris Gayle; a huge contribution to Bangladesh's win.
2) Fielding wins matches
The West Indies suffered due to shoddy fielding. Against Australia, Zimbabwe clearly won because of their superb fielding, grabbing every chance. Twice, exceptional work derailed the Aussies just as they seemed to be building up momentum. First, a brilliant pick-up and throw from Vusi Sibanda got rid of the dangerous Michael Hussey. Then Andrew Symonds overbalanced fractionally while playing Masakadza and wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor had the bails off in a flash.
In contrast, the Aussies seemed to wilt under pressure. They repeatedly misfielded and failed to hit the stumps as the Zimbabweans raced tight singles. In a match that came down to the penultimate ball, that made all the difference.
3) Pace the innings
As the Zimbabwe-Australia match turned into a nail-biter, the coolest head on the field belonged to one of the youngest players. Brendan Taylor, all of 21, was in action throughout the 40 overs, first as keeper, then opener. As Zimbabwe chased, Taylor rotated the strike and let other batsmen have a go. It was only towards the end that he threw his bat around, clouting Brad Hodge for two sixes. Then, in the final over, he flicked a ball from outside off stump to a leg-side boundary. Big hitters will, no doubt, be important; as Bangladesh skipper Mohammed Ashraful underlined while scoring the fastest T20 50 ever against West Indies. But anchors who hold the innings together and accelerate at the end may be important too in tight run chases.