Three match series: Pakistan thrash West Indies in first ODI

SHARJAH: Babar Azam hit his maiden century while spinner Mohammad Nawaz grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed the West Indies by 111 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the first day-night international on Friday.

Azam’s rapid-fire 139-ball 120 helped Pakistan post a challenging 284-9 in a match reduced to 49 overs a side due to a 70-minute floodlight failure at Sharjah Stadium in the UAE.

West Indies – set 287 to win – never got close and folded at 175 in 38.4 overs. Like in the Twenty20 matches, the West Indian batsmen had little clue against Pakistan’s spin bowling, with only Marlon Samuels (46) and Johnson Charles (20) offering any resistance.

Nawaz steamed through the batting with figures of 4-42 in his ten overs, easily his best bowling figures in his sixth one-day international.

Nawaz had Darren Bravo (12), Denesh Ramdin (eight), Kieron Pollard (nine) and Carlos Brathwaite (15) out in an incisive spell of spin bowling to rock the West Indies.

Samuels hit two sixes and a four in his 59-ball fight but was finally bowled by fast bowler Wahab Riaz in the 34th over.

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 ended the innings with figures of 3-14.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2016.