MIX OF YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE ENSURE HOSTS POST 292 FOR SIX IN FIRST ONE-DAYER AGAINST SRI LANKA
abar Azam displayed his wide repertoire of strokes to crack an elegant 103 runs to help Pakistan post a challenging 292-6 in the first oneday match of the five-match series against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium yesterday. His commanding knock off 131 balls contained five boundaries and was his sixth One Day International (ODI) hundred.
Shoaib Malek, the veteran of many battles, scored an elegant 81 runs off 61 balls with five boundaries and two sixes.
It was a spectacular display of youth and experience.
Twenty-two-year-old Azam was playing only in his 32nd ODI while 35-year-old Malek was appearing in his 253rd one-dayer. Together they put on 139 runs from 115 balls for the fourth wicket.
Azam’s innings ended when he slogged a slower ball from Suranga Lakmal to Kusal Mendis at long on.
Malek fell 19 runs short of a century in the 47th over when he holed one to the deep midwicket off Lakmal.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field mainly due to the dew factor which has often helped the team batting second here.
Opener Fakhar Zaman, the hero of the Champions Trophy final against India, hit the first boundary of the day when Lakmal wavered in length allowing Zaman to flick it off his pads to the backward square leg boundary in the third over.
In the fourth over, Lahiru Gamage had opener Ahmad Shehzad flick into the hands of Akila Dananjaya at square leg for a duck.
Zaman eased the pressure of an early wicket by smashing Gamage past the non striker with sheer power.
The shot was played with so much strength that non striker Azam just escaped being hit by the shot.
Azam began with a lovely straight drive off Gamage. This shot was played with absolute elegance past mid-on. At the
Pakistan
Fakhar Zaman b Dananjaya 43 A Shehzad c Dananjaya b Gamage 0 Babar Azam c Mendis b Lakmal 103 M Hafeez c Perera b Vandersay 32 Shoaib Malik c Dananjaya b Lakmal 81 Sarfraz Ahmed c Tharanga b Perera 1 Imad Wasim not out 10 Hasan Ali not out 11
(lb 2, w 9) 11 (for six wkts; 50 overs) 292
Shadab Khan, Rumman Raees, Junaid Khan
1-11, 2-75, 3-124, 4-263,
Extras Total Did not bat:
Fall of wickets:
5-266, 6-269
Lakmal 10-0-47-2, Gamage 8-0-49-1, Dananjaya 8-0-51-1, Perera 8-0-68-1, Vandersay 10-0-47-1, Siriwardana 6-0-28-0
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field
Bowling: Toss: Sri Lanka:
Upul Tharanga (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Gamage, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
Sundaram Ravi (IND) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
Richard Kettleborough
Umpires: Third umpire:
(ENG)
Match referee: In form
Andrew Pycroft (ZIM) end of the 10th over, Pakistan were 36-1 needing more acceleration to the run rate.
Two boundaries were scored in the 12th over. The first by Azam was played through the roll of his wrist and second by Zaman who top edged to fine leg fence.
In the 17th over, Zaman swept off spinner Dananjaya for a six but Dananjaya took revenge with the next ball. He got the breakthrough by beating Zaman with the turn to hit his off stump.
This delivery ended the 64run partnership in 12.4 overs between Zaman and Babar. Zaman hit 43 runs off 45 balls with four boundaries and one six.
Mohammad Hafeez, who joined Azam, began by sweeping Dananjaya. It was played with such control and elegance that it bisected the deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary.
In the 21st over, Hafeez also played a cracking straight drive of Dananjaya which made long on and long off watch in appreciation as it raced to the boundary. Pakistan’s 100 runs came in the 22nd over.
Sri Lanka introduced leftarm spinner Milinda Siriwardana. Hafeez hit him to deep midwicket boundary. At the half way mark Pakistan were 115 for 2.
Siriwardana would have got the wicket of Azam on 42 had Dinesh Chandimal held on to a powerful shot at widish midon. In the 28th over Hafeez who was given leg before to leg spinner Jeffery Vandersay won a successful review but fell to the next ball when Hafeez pulled to Perera at midwicket. Hafeez’s knock of 32 from 38 balls had five boundaries and had put on 49 runs for the third wicket with Azam.
Malek stepped out and hit Dananjaya into the long on stands for his 100th six in One-day cricket. Azam and Malek added 50 runs in 48 balls. Malek played a flowing cover drive off Vandersay as Pakistan reached the 200-run mark in 39.3 overs.
Malek completed his 40th half One-day half century in 45 balls with two boundaries and one six. In the 46th over, Malek going down on his knees hit Perera over the covers for a six and also slog swept him for a boundary.