Pakistan v West Indies: Babar Azam hits maiden ton in convincing win
Pakistan take 1-0 lead in three-match ODI series
Friday 30 September 2016 21:25, UK
Babar Azam hit his maiden century while spinner Mohammad Nawaz grabbed four wickets as Pakistan hammered West Indies by 111 runs in the opening one-day international of the three-match series in Sharjah.
Babar's 120 off 131 balls - featuring eight fours and three sixes - helped lift Pakistan to 284-9 in a match reduced to 49 overs-a-side due to a floodlight failure at the ground.
With the West Indies set a revised target of 287 to win, Pakistan bowled out the visitors for 175 in 38.4 overs - Nawaz returning figures of 4-42 from his 10 overs.
After being put into bat first by the West Indies, Pakistan lost skipper Azhar Ali to the first ball of the match, caught behind off paceman Shannon Gabriel.
But Babar helped recover the innings, putting on 82 for the second wicket with Sharjeel Khan (54) and then 99 with Sarfraz Ahmed (35) after a couple of wickets fell in quick succession.
Wickets again came in a cluster after Sarfraz was out caught behind off Jason Holder, with Pakistan slipping to 239-6 when Babar finall fell - one of Carlos Brathwaite's 3-54 on an impressive outing with the ball.
Pakistan were then 260-6 in the 45th over when a when a floodlight failure stopped play for over an hour. When the players finally returned, Imad Wasim (24) and Nawaz (19) gave the final touches to Pakistan's innings.
Like in the T20 series - where the West Indies were whitewashed 3-0 - the visitors' batsmen had little clue against Pakistan's spinners, with only Marlon Samuels (46) and Johnson Charles (20) offering any resistance.
Nawaz accounted for Darren Bravo (12), Denesh Ramdin (8), Kieron Pollard (9) and Brathwaite (15) out in an incisive spell of spin bowling to rock the West Indies.
Sunil Narine (23) and Sulieman Benn (16 not out) added 31 for the ninth wicket but it was too little, too late and medium pacer Hasan Ali (3-14) took the final two wickets to end the innings.
The second ODI will also be played in Sharjah, on Sunday, while the third will be in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
