Babar Azam breaks world record, becomes the first batter in history during 1st ODI vs Netherlands
There is nothing that this man can't do in the game of cricket. Pakistani skipper Babar Azam is at the peak of his career and is making records after records. Babar has been at his phenomenal best and every time he steps on the field, he breaks a new record.
The Men in Green won the first game of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday against the Netherlands at Hazelaarweg by 16 runs. And once again, it was the captain that led his team from the front. He played a vital knock of 74 runs off 85 balls, with six fours and one six.
He also added a big partnership of 168 runs for the second wicket with opener Fakhar Zaman, which laid the foundation for a big score. Eventually, Pakistan made 314/6 in their 50 overs, which proved enough for the visitors to defend.
With his knock of 74 runs, Babar has broken yet another record, but this time not of Virat Kohli. However, he has broken the record of former South African batter Hashim Amla for scoring the most runs after 88 ODI innings. Babar has now scored 4516 runs at an average of 59.42, while Amla has 4473 runs after 88 innings.
.@babarazam258 bosses around with a sublime knock of 74.
— FanCode (@FanCode) August 16, 2022
Watch all the action from the Pakistan tour of Netherlands LIVE, exclusively on #FanCode 👉 https://t.co/Sz8Rmk2fOO @TheRealPCB @KNCBcricket #NEDvPAK pic.twitter.com/BFcc8H8J4z
Notably, no other player in the world is able to register this milestone like Babar has. That is the reason he is the No. 1 ranked batsman in the white-ball format. Speaking of the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Fakhar also played brilliantly and scored his 7th ODI century.
He made 109 runs off 109 balls with 12 fours and one six. However, at one stage, it looked like the visitors might end up around 270-280, but a cameo from Shadab Khan and Agha Salman helped Pakistan cross the 300-run mark.
Shadab made 48* off 28 with four boundaries and two sixes, while Salman scored 27* off 16 with three fours. In reply, the Netherlands looked good in patches. Despite losing two early wickets, Tom Cooper (65) and Vikramjit Singh (65) added 97 runs for the third wicket.
In the end, skipper Scott Edwards (71* off 60) played a good innings, but it was too far off the target to chase. Thus, the Netherlands fell short by 16 runs of the target and Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The next ODI will be played on August 18 at the same venue.