Babar Azam finally ended his 807-day wait for a One-day International century, scoring an unbeaten 102 to lead Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, sealing the three-match series with a game to spare.
The former Pakistan skipper, under intense scrutiny after 83 innings without a three-figure score, struck eight boundaries in a 119-ball innings that blended patience with poise.
He reached his milestone in the 47th over, pulling pacer Pramod Madushan to midwicket for a single, before collapsing to his knees in prostration and embracing Mohammad Rizwan at the non-striker’s end. The Rawalpindi crowd erupted, having waited long for this moment.
Reaching the milestone, Babar equalled former opener Saeed Anwar’s record for the most ODI hundreds for Pakistan — 20 centuries.
Rizwan played the ideal supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 51 off 54 balls, hitting five fours and a six. The pair added an unbroken 112 for the third wicket, guiding Pakistan across the finish line two balls into the 49th over.
The chase began explosively. Openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman raced to 77-0 in the Powerplay. Saim smashed 33 off 25 balls (five fours and a six) before holing out to mid-off off pacer Dushmantha Chameera in the 10th over.
Fakhar, dropped thrice, anchored with 78 off 93 balls (eight fours and six) before falling to a superb low catch by Janith Liyanage at short midwicket off Chameera in the 31st.
Sri Lanka’s fielding lapses proved decisive. Fakhar survived a skier spilled by substitute Pavan Rathnayake, a miscued loft dropped by Asitha Fernando at long-off off Charith Asalanka, and an earlier edge. These errors allowed Pakistan to maintain momentum on a pitch offering little after early swing.
Chameera was Sri Lanka’s only wicket-taker, finishing with 2-58 in 10 overs. The rest struggled: Asitha Fernando leaked 66 in 8.2 overs without success, Pramod Madushan conceded 62 in eight, while Wanindu Hasaranga, usually a threat, went wicketless for 35 in 10. Captain Asalanka’s part-time spin and Janith Liyanage’s medium pace offered no control.
Babar, initially cautious, grew in confidence. He reached fifty off 66 balls with a short-arm jab through point, then accelerated with trademark cover drives and pulls. Rizwan, joining at 177-2, rotated strike expertly before raising his fifty with a steer to deep midwicket.
The winning runs came off Asitha in the 49th over — Babar guiding a low full toss to cover. The pair walked off grinning, series sealed.
Earlier, having starred with the ball in the opener, Haris Rauf was at it again as Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 288-8.
The pacer, who finished with 3-66, responded each time when called upon, especially when Sri Lanka were threatening to post an even bigger total where he picked up two quick wickets to snuff out their hopes.
Haris’ spell at the end came after leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed (3-41) had ripped through Sri Lanka’s top order; their exploits giving Pakistan a good chance of wrapping up the series despite a valiant half century by Liyanage and a counter-punching 44 by Kamindu Mendis.
The match, initially scheduled for Thursday, was pushed back to Friday after the terror attack in Islamabad on Tuesday, when Pakistan had won the opener at the same venue.
Salman Ali Agha, standing in place of flu-stricken skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, had opted to bowl after winning the toss and it needed work from fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Mohammad Waseem Jr in the deep to get Pakistan their first breakthrough.
Pathum Nissanka (24) had been looking good, having hit four boundaries, but was run out attempting a risky third run, with his departure bringing to an end a 51-run opening stand.
Fellow opener Kamil Mishara (27) followed soon after; Rizwan’s quick glovework helping complete a stumping off Abrar, who sat out the first game due to illness and was returning to the playing XI after a match-winning performance against South Africa last week.
Abrar had been difficult to read for Sri Lankan batters and struck again when Kusal Mendis (20) holed out to Mohammad Nawaz inside the circle on the leg-side.
Abrar was hit for the first boundary of his spell when Asalanka swept him away but the leg-spinner hit back on the next ball, trapping the left-hander lbw with a ball that spun away after pitching.
Sri Lanka reached 100 in the 23rd over and the first six of their innings came on the first ball of the 24th when Liyanage came down the track and hit Abrar over the long-on fence.
Abrar was pulled out of the attack and that gave Sri Lanka the breathing space they needed and Liyanage and Sadeera Sameerawickrama (42) settled soon after.
When the latter got his third boundary with a flick off Nawaz in the 29th, Salman felt Pakistan needed to change tact. Haris was called into action and the pacer, fresh from picking up four wickets in the opening ODI, responded by cleaning up Sameerawickrama, who also hit a six, with a length ball that hit the top of his off-stump and ended a 61-run stand.
The incoming Kamindu launched Haris for a six and with the more sedate Liyanage took Sri Lanka to 200 in the 38th over. Pakistan turned to Abrar once again but Kamindu swatted him away for four as Sri Lanka set themselves up for a late charge.
Spinner Nawaz was plundered for 14 in the 41st over where Liyanage raising his half-century off 56 deliveries and Kamindu getting his second six. But Haris broke the 73-run partnership when he had Kamindu, who hit four fours during his 38-ball stay, caught at the square leg fence.
Liyanage fell in the next over, hitting Waseem to Nawaz at midwicket before Haris trapped Chameera lbw. Hasaranga’s unbeaten 37 in the end ensured Sri Lanka set Pakistan 289 to win.
