Pakistan vs West Indies: Babar Azam creates another record despite missing century in 2nd ODI

Babar Azam. File Pic/AFP

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam created another massive feat in men's international cricket history after becoming the first batter to score nine consecutive half-centuries in all three formats of cricket. Babar scored 77 runs off 93 balls he faced in the second ODI match against West Indies in Multan, Pakistan.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat on another sweltering hot day and had put up a total of 275/8 all thanks to Babar (77) and Imam-ul-Haq (72), as well as the lower-middle order who hammered the visitors all around the ground. Despite missing a century in the 2nd ODI, Babar added another fifty-plus score to his name to enter the record books for an outstanding batting record.

Pakistan's bowling attack led by Mohammad Nawaz's four-wicket haul restricted West Indies to merely 155 runs in the run-chase, as Pakistan clinched a secure 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

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Babar looked to pace the innings in testing conditions with the temperature touching to 45 degree Celsius but the West Indies came back strongly in the latter half of the Pakistan innings. He scored a century in a five-wicket win on Wednesday, fell to Hosein's sharp turning delivery and offered a tame return catch off a leading edge to the bowler as Pakistan lost four quick wickets in space of 20 runs.

Earlier, Babar's half-century streak started with a 196 during the second Test against Australia, following it up with a 66 and 55 in the third and the final Test. The three-match ODI series against Australia saw Babar smash two centuries, registering 57, 114, and 105' in the three games. In the only T20I against Men in Yellow, Babar scored 66.

The Pakistan skipper had on Wednesday had scripted a brilliant record with his century against West Indies in the first ODI in Multan, becoming the first batter to score three consecutive hundreds on two separate occasions in ODIs.

Babar smashed 103 off 107 balls and led Pakistan to victory by five wickets. With this outstanding accomplishment, Babar also surpassed the long-standing record of Virat Kohli, becoming the fastest to score 1,000 runs as captain in the format. He attained the milestone in his 13th innings as Pakistan captain while it took 17 innings for Kohli to get there.

(with ANI inputs)