Both Babar and Imam dominated the spinners and tempo on a wicket conducive for batting
Both Babar and Imam dominated the spinners and tempo on a wicket conducive for batting
Captain Babar Azam’s record-breaking seventeenth ODI hundred powered Pakistan to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in sweltering warmth.
Babar’s 103 off 107 balls — his fourth century within the final 5 one-day internationals — carried Pakistan to 306-5 with 4 balls to spare for a 1-0 lead within the three-match sequence.
Left-handed batter Khushdil Shah survived a few shut run-outs earlier than smashing 4 sixes in opposition to the quick bowlers to stay unbeaten on 41 off 23 balls right here on Wednesday.
Shai Hope’s good 127 off 134 had earlier propelled the West Indies to 305-8 after captain Nicholas Pooran had received the toss and elected to bat with the temperature reaching 42 diploma Celsius (107 F).
But Babar, the world’s top-ranked ODI batter, completely engineered Pakistan’s highest-ever chase in an ODI in opposition to the West Indies.
Babar and Imam-u-Haq, who made 65, shared a 103-run second wicket stand after Fakhar Zaman (11) spliced a catch at quick cowl off Jayden Seales’ short-pitch ball early within the run-chase.
Both Babar and Imam dominated the spinners and tempo on a wicket conducive for batting. Akeal Hosein obtained the breakthrough when Imam went for a pointless reverse sweep in opposition to the left-arm spinner and provided a tame catch.
But Babar continued his chic type in white-ball cricket and shared one other century stand with Mohammad Rizwan (59) because the West Indies struggled to stem the circulation of runs.
Babar raised his century off 103 balls with 9 fours when he delicately late lower leg-spinner Haden Walsh Jr. to 3rd man boundary for his ninth 4 of the innings.
Babar turned the primary batter within the historical past of ODI to attain three consecutive a whole bunch on two separate events. He made three consecutive centuries in opposition to the West Indies in 2016 and adopted his two a whole bunch in opposition to Australia at Lahore this yr with one other good knock on Wednesday.
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph supplied the West Indies a sneak in his return spell when Babar top-edged a pull to mid-wicket with Pakistan nonetheless needing 69 runs.
Rizwan then skied a straightforward catch to Pooran in opposition to Romario Shepherd’s off-cutter however Shah ensured Pakistan did not slip up by smashing 4 sixes in opposition to Shepherd to provide Pakistan a memorable win.
Earlier, Hope and Shamarh Brooks supplied the guests a strong platform of a giant whole by sharing 154-run second wicket stand.
Hope and Brooks took on Pakistan quick bowlers Hasan Ali (0-68) and Haris Rauf (4-77) whereas watchfully enjoying out the spin risk of Shadab Khan.
Brooks made 70 off 83 balls earlier than Shadab plucked an outstanding one-handed sliding catch at quick third man to finish the threatening stand within the thirty first over.
Pooran (21) tried to speed up and hit three sixes earlier than he holed out at deep mid-wicket and Brandon King (4) provided a easy return catch to Shadab, who completed with 1-37 in his comeback ODI after lacking out the final sequence in opposition to Australia as a result of harm.
Hope accomplished his 4,000 ODI runs when he raised his twelfth hundred off 118 balls with a canopy pushed boundary in opposition to Hasan however Rauf’s late wickets pegged again the West Indies within the latter half of the innings regardless of cameos by Rovman Powell (32) and Shepherd (25).
Hope, who hit 15 fours and a six, dragged Rauf’s off-cutter again onto his stump whereas Shepherd and Hosein had been caught within the deep within the quick bowler’s final over whereas on the lookout for fast runs.
The second sport will probably be performed Friday with the final one scheduled Sunday.
The sequence was postponed final December after a COVID-19 outbreak within the West Indies camp in the course of the previous Twenty20 sequence in Pakistan.
Source: www.thehindu.com
