Babar Azam stroked yet another century against the West Indies and Hasan Ali claimed five wickets as Pakistan won the second one-day international by 74 runs at the National Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.
Put in by West Indies captain Jason Holder, Pakistan totaled 282-5 and then dismissed the hosts for 208 off 44.5 overs, despite a battling knock from Holder, who was last out to Ali for a top score of 68.
Reinstated in his favorite No. 3 spot, Azam held a faltering innings together and then accelerated toward an unbeaten 125, his fifth century in one-day internationals and a fourth in five innings against the West Indies.
Photo: AFP
His classy knock occupied 132 deliveries, and was embellished with three sixes and seven fours.
“I just wanted to bat through to the end of the innings and I was able to achieve that to help us put up a good total,” Azam said. “It doesn’t matter where I bat, I just want to make a contribution for the team.”
Azam received critical support from Imad Wasim, the all-rounder finishing unbeaten on 43 in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 99 which released the shackles of the previously disciplined bowling on a pitch lacking the pace and bounce from the first match — which the hosts won by four wickets.
On a good batting pitch the hosts also lost their discipline in the reply, crashing to 75-6 with a series of poor shots, while the Pakistan bowlers showed much greater intent than in the first game.
“Our batting at the top again let us down because I felt, on this pitch, we definitely had a chance to get to 283,” Holder said at the end of the match. “Maybe it would have been different with some more runs at the top, but now we have to focus on winning on Tuesday [in the third and final match].”
Holder was given support by Ashley Nurse, who belted a one-day best 44 in dominating a 58-run seventh-wicket stand with his captain, but the accurate Ali, who finished with 5-38 off 8.5 overs, eliminated any outside chance the West Indies had of stealing a series-clinching victory.
He trapped Nurse leg before wicket and then claimed the final two wickets in the 45th over, both to catches by Azam at mid-off.
The teams meet in the decider today with the West Indies seeking their first one-day series win over Pakistan for 26 years.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two