1st T20I: Babar Azam Closes In On India Skipper Rohit Sharma With Third Hundred

1st T20I: Babar Azam Closes In On India Skipper Rohit Sharma With Third Hundred (Image Source: Google)

Babar Azam notched up a fine T20I hundred in his 101st T20I to put Pakistan in the driving seat after he opted to bat first on winning the toss.

The Pakistan skipper put on a 99-run opening stand with Mohammad Rizwan, before the wicketkeeper was dismissed in the 11th over of the innings. Matt Henry, fresh off a hat-trick last game, sent back Fakhar Zaman next ball to dent Pakistan further. Pakistan went on to post 192/4 in their 20 overs.

Babar, however, continued in the same vein, getting to his half-century off 36 balls. He stepped on the pedal thereafter, slamming 51 runs off the next 22 balls, including 36 runs off the last three overs.

He completed his century off the final ball of the innings, smashing James Neesham for two fours and a six in the last over.

The 58-ball ton was Babar's third T20I ton. Notably, he is the only Pakistan batter with more than one hundred in the format. The hundred puts Babar close to the top of the list of batters with most T20I tons.

Rohit Sharma with four T20I hundreds tops the list with five other batters, including Babar now, on three hundreds. Notably, both Babar and Rohit have 33 scores of fity or more in T20Is, second only to Virat Kohli, who has 38 such scores.

Pakistan posted 192/4 on board with Babar remaining unbeaten on 101. He shared an unbeaten 87-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed (33 not out off 19 balls) to lead Pakistan's surge in the late overs.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 192/4 in 20 overs (Babar azam 101, Mohammad Rizwan 50, Iftikhar Ahmed 33 not out; Matt Henry 2-29).