Babar Azam highest score: The Pakistani captain led from the front at the Edgbaston after two back-to-back failures on this tour.
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During the third ODI of the ongoing Pakistan’s tour of England in Birmingham, normal services resumed for Pakistan captain Babar Azam in international cricket after he top-scored for his team yet again.
Azam, who had scored 0 and 19 in the first two matches, returned to his usual run-scoring spree by registering his 14th ODI century. Coming in to bat at No. 3 in the fifth over, Azam went on to score 158 (139) with the help of 14 fours and four sixes.
In what is his second ODI century against England, it is also his second in England. Azam, who is building a phenomenal ODI record as captain, has scored his third ODI century in only his ninth match as Pakistan’s captain.
Having started extremely cautiously at the Edgbaston, it was on the 15th delivery that he faced that Azam scored his first run in the form of a boundary off Craig Overton.
It was only after playing 40 deliveries that Azam regained his lost touch. As a result, what followed was him scoring the remaining runs of his innings at a brisk pace.
Azam, who surpassed the 50-run mark in the 28th over, excelled under the presence wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan (74) at the non-striker’s end putting together a superb 179-run stand for the third wicket.
What is Babar Azam highest score in ODIs?
It was on the first delivery of the 38th over when Azam cut England pacer Saqid Mahmood for a boundary to complete a magnificent century. Having last scored a century against South Africa in April this year, the 26-year old player hasn’t taken much long to achieving the feat again.
Before this ODI, Azam’s highest ODI score was 125* (132) against West Indies in Guyana during Pakistan’s tour of West Indies 2017. However, with him scoring 158 (139) today, it has also become his highest ODI score.
Twitter reactions on Babar Azam:
Babar Azam now first Pakistan captain to score a 150 in ODIs. #EngvPak
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 13, 2021
Babar Azam is first Pakistani captain in 38 years to score a ODI century in England. Last one to do so was Imran Khan in 1983 in Leeds. No other captain from Pakistan scored ODI 100 in England. #cricket #ENGvPAK #BabarAzam
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) July 13, 2021
Babar Azam now averages 53 in ODIs in England, which also happens to be the country he has played the most number of ODIs (26) in.
— Roha Nadeem (@RohaNadym) July 13, 2021
Babar Azam brings up his 14th ODI century!
A captain’s innings 👏#ENGvPAK #UnitedWeWin pic.twitter.com/7sJpSEwQtH
— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) July 13, 2021
This guy @babarazam258 is some player. Just imagining him playing alongside the likes INZY bhai,YUSUF, YUNUS.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 13, 2021
Fastest to 14 ODI centuries, by number of innings:
81 – Babar Azam
82 – Meg Lanning
84 – Hashim Amla
98 – David Warner
103 – Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/4cRlzbOoxZ— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 13, 2021
Personal best ✅
Highest ODI score for Pakistan vs England ✅
Highest ODI score by a Pakistan captain ✅
Highest ODI score by any captain against England ✅Take a bow, @babarazam258 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wabjJcDaGr
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 13, 2021
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