Pakistan captain and talisman Babar Azam scored a century to help steer Pakistan to a five-wicket victory over the West Indies in a keenly contested ODI in Multan on Wednesday.
Chasing a challenging 306 for victory from their 50 overs, Babar scored 103 from 107 balls and only hit nine fours as Pakistan achieved their target with four balls to spare.
He featured in a 103-run second-wicket partnership with Imam-ul-Haq who made 65 from 71 balls after Fakhar Zaman was dismissed by Jayden Seales in the seventh over when Pakistan had reached 26.
Babar and Mohammad Rizwan then added an additional 108 for the third wicket before he was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph in the 42nd with the score at 237.
Rizwan fell to the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 59 in the 45th over with the match still evenly balanced with Pakistan needing 50 for victory.
Khushdil Shah swung the match in Pakistan’s favour when he smashed an unbeaten 41 from 23 balls hitting four sixes along the way. The 47th over proved to be decisive as he smeared Shepherd over the boundary ropes for three consecutive sixes in an over that yielded 20 and at the end of which Pakistan needed only 24 from the last 18 balls.
He hit his fourth from the penultimate ball of Shepherd’s next over leaving Pakistan to get six runs from the final over.
Mohammad Nawaz duly obliged hitting Seales back over his head for six to seal the victory.
Alzarri Joseph bowled well for his figures of 2-55 while Seales ended with 1-53. Shah’s onslaught on Shepherd resulted in the bowler giving up 70 runs from his nine overs, half of them scored from his last two overs.
Earlier, Shai Hope scored his 12th ODI century as the West Indies batted well for their 305-8 from their allotment.
After losing his opening partner Kyle Mayers for just three in the third over with the West Indies on nine, Hope and Shamarh Brooks repaired the early damage with a second-wicket partnership of 154 before Brooks was brilliantly caught at short third man by Shadab Khan off the bowling of Nawaz for 70.
Cameos of 21 from 16 balls by Captain Nicholas Pooran, 32 from 23 balls from Rovman Powell and 25 from 18 by Shepherd carried the West Indies past 300.
Though he proved expensive Haris Rauf was the best of the Pakistan bowlers with 4-77 from his 10 overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi took 2-55.
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Sufiyan's record-breaking five-for seals T20I series for Pakistan
Sufiyan Muqeem took career-best figures of 5-3 as Pakistan thrashed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to clinch their three-match T20I series with a match to spare on Tuesday.
After electing to bat first, Zimbabwe were bundled out for just 57 runs in 12.4 overs, their lowest-ever score in the format, beating the 84 they scored against Sri Lanka in January.
Opening duo Brian Bennett (21) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (16) top-scored for the hosts, but when the former fell to Muhammad Abbas Afridi (2-2), their capitulation began.
The hosts lost four wickets in quick succession, including Ryan Burl (1) and Tashinga Musekiwa (0) in consecutive deliveries from the impressive Sufiyan in the eighth over.
Zimbabwe were only able to add 20 runs to their total following Bennett's dismissal, with Salman Ali Agha (1-7), Haris Rauf (1-13) and Abrar Ahmed (1-21) chipping in for Pakistan.
Pakistan made light work of the chase and reached their target with 87 balls remaining, helped by unbeaten knocks from Omair Bin Yousuf (22) and Saim Ayub (36).
After the tourists also won the first game of the series by 57 runs, the third and final fixture will take place on Thursday at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Data Debrief: Sufiyan smashes Gul's T20 record
Having won only one of their last eight multi-game bilateral men’s T20I series (D2 L5), Pakistan improved their record in the format with a comprehensive showing on Tuesday.
They recorded their third 10-wicket T20I triumph, needing just 33 balls to reach their target, with the damage already done by Sufiyan with the ball in hand.
In just his seventh T20I for Pakistan, Sufiyan registered the best bowling figures for the team in the short-over format, surpassing Umar Gul's previous record (5-6 - against New Zealand in 2009 and South Africa in 2013).
Adams lauds five-wicket Rana during strong Bangladesh display
Andre Adams lauded Nahid Rana's bowling display as his five-wicket haul helped the tourists take control on the third day of their second Test against the West Indies.
Starting the day 70-1, the West Indies were dismissed for 146, with Rana (5-61) adding four wickets to his total, having caught and bowled out Mikyle Louis (12) on day two.
Keacy Carty (40) top scored for the hosts, with Rana aided in his attack by Hasan Mahmud (2-19), which gave the tourists a lead of 18 runs ahead of their second innings.
Bangladesh rallied from the early loss of Mahmudul Hasan Joy (0), with the Tigers' opener dismissed by Jayden Seales (1-43), who took four wickets in the previous innings.
Shadman Islam (46) and Mehidy Hasan (42) steadied the ship, but both fell to Shamar Joseph (2-70), before Jaker Ali's unbeaten 29 took the tourists past the 200-run lead mark.
At stumps, Bangladesh were 193-5, an advantage of 211 runs with Jaker and Taijul Islam (9) returning to the crease for day four at Sabina Park in Kingston.
"A very good day, really. Very happy with how our bowlers are going. The batting has been different today, but nice to see,"
Given that the highest successful run-chase in a Test match at Sabina Park is just 211, achieved by the West Indies against Sri Lanka in 2003, history would appear to be on the side of the tourists, forcing a series-levelling victory over the final two days.
And Bangladesh have Rana to thank following his maiden five-for, with head coach Adams highlighting the 22-year-old's significant improvements over the last 12 months.
"We knew it was coming at some stage. When you bowl at 150kph you're going to take wickets at some stage. What he has done in the last year is become accurate.
"He's improved on that more. He is very keen, and he has a lot of pace. We just try to give him some instructions and let his instincts take over.
"He's a young bowler, he bowls fast, so you have got to look after his bowling loads.
"He's young but luckily, we have the likes of Taskin and Hasan to help him and a captain like Mehidy."
Quick bowling and aggressive batting put Bangladesh in control over West Indies at stumps on day three
The pace bowling of young Nahid Rana as well as some brave, aggressive batting have put Bangladesh in a strong position at stumps on day three of the second Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park on Monday.
Sunny skies greeted the West Indian batsmen and Bangladeshi fielders on Monday as the hosts carried on their first innings from their overnight 70-1 off 37 overs, replying to Bangladesh’s 164 all out off 71.5 overs on day two.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty were the batsmen at the crease on 33 and 19, respectively, looking to kick on to put the West Indies in position to get a big lead on the tourists.
The pair put on a further 15 runs in five overs and three balls before Brathwaite became Rana’s first victim of the day and second of the innings for a 129-ball 39.
Fifteen balls later, Rana, who bowled at speeds north of 145 pm/h consistently throughout the West Indies innings, struck once again, this time getting Kavem Hodge to edge a ball through to wicket-keeper Litton Das for just three leaving the West Indies 94-3.
It was then time for Taskin Ahmed to get into the action, knocking over Alick Athanaze for just two with one ball left in the 48th over to leave the hosts 100-4.
Centurion from the first Test, Justin Greaves, was next to the crease hoping for a repeat of his exploits in the first innings of the first Test in Antigua last week.
Sadly for the West Indian supporters, that wasn’t the case, however, as Greaves played around a straight ball from Taijul Islam to be dismissed for the same score as Athanaze, leaving the West Indies 105-5 in the 51st over.
Joshua Da Silva’s poor run of form with the bat continued as he was next to go for just five in the 54th over with the wickets of Carty (40), Alzarri Joseph (7), and Shamar Joseph (6) falling soon after to leave the West Indies 136-9 in the 64th over.
It was then Rana’s chance to complete a maiden Test five-wicket haul bowling to elder statesman Kemar Roach.
After hitting him on the shoulder a couple times, leaving him unable to take up his usual role of bowling the new ball for the hosts, Rana got Roach trapped in front with a full, straight one to complete his milestone, finishing with 5-61 off 18 overs.
Hasan Mahmud took 2-19 off 11 overs in support of the speedster from Chapai Nawabgonj.
Leading by 18, Bangladesh second innings got off to the worst possible start when Jayden Seales dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck in the first over.
First innings half-centurion Shadman Islam and Shahadat Hossain attempted a repair job, putting on 47 for the second wicket before the latter went for a 26-ball 28, going for one big shot too many and ending up caught at mid off by Seales off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph.
The next partnership was the one that really had the West Indies nervous as Islam and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz put on 70 in just 11.5 overs for the third wicket.
That partnership ended when Shamar Joseph had Islam caught behind, four runs short of his second fifty of the contest while Miraz went soon after, also caught behind off Joseph for 42 off 39 balls to leave Bangladesh 132-4 in the 26th over.
Litton Das and Jaker Ali then provided some more valuable runs for the tourists, putting on 41 in 8.5 overs before Justin Greaves removed Das with a brilliant off cutter for 25 off 34 balls.
Ali (29*) and Taijul Islam (9*) were the batsmen at the crease at stumps as Bangladesh reached 193-5 off 41.4 overs, leading by 211 runs.
Full Scores:
Bangladesh 164 off 71.5 overs (Shadman Islam 64, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 36, Jayden Seales 4-5, Shamar Joseph 3-49, Kemar Roach 2-45) & 193-5 off 41.4 overs (Shadman Islam 46, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 42, Shamar Joseph 2-70)
West Indies 146 off 65 overs (Keacy Carty 40, Kraigg Brathwaite 39, Nahid Rana 5-61, Hasan Mahmud 2-19).
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