Twitter Reactions: Babar Azam's hundred, Khushdil Shah's cameo power Pakistan to thrilling win in series opener

The contest went right down to the wire and West Indies looked in command for a major part.

By Gaurav Tripathi

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Babar Azam
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Pakistan captain Babar Azam. (Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

With a thrilling five-wicket win in the opening ODI, Pakistan has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The contest went right down to the wire and West Indies looked in command for a major part. However, a brilliant hundred from skipper Babar Azam, followed by some late blitzes from Khushdil Shah meant, the Men in Green chased down 306 in the last over.

Speaking of how the contest panned out, West Indies won the toss and opted to bat first. They got off to a terrible start with opener Kyle Mayers managing just three runs. Nevertheless, Shai Hope joined forces with Shamarh Brooks and the duo gave Pakistan bowlers a tough time. They added 154 runs for the second wicket before Brooks perished for 70.

Meanwhile, Hope’s sensational run in sub-continental ODIs continued, as he brought up yet another sensational ton. Towards the end, the likes of skipper Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, and Romario Shepherd played some handy cameos, as the visitors posted 305/8 at the Multan Cricket Stadium. For Pakistan, Haris Rauf took some vital wickets in the slog overs and finished with a four-wicket haul. Shaheen Afridi also dismissed a couple of batters.

Third successive ODI ton for Babar Azam

With such a massive target on board, the hosts needed a flying start which they didn’t get, as opener Fakhar Zaman could manage only 11. The ship was then steadied by Imam-ul-Haq and skipper Babar. While Imam fell prey to Akeal Hosein after scoring a well-made 65, the Pakistan skipper brought up his third successive ODI hundred.

After Imam’s departure, Babar found another formidable partner in Mohammad Rizwan. The wicketkeeper-batter played some delightful shots and scored 59 and 61 balls. Meanwhile, both these batters were dismissed in the latter stages of the game, as the visitors had a great chance to gain command. The required run rate was constantly going up and the set batters were back in the hut.

However, Khushdil Shah embraced the challenge and put up a batting exhibition. With the help of four sixes and a boundary, the dasher scored 41* off 23 balls, as the Men in Green crossed the line with just four balls to spare, clinching the contest by five wickets.

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitter reacted to Pakistan’s win:

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