Pakistan batter Babar Azam not only ended his half-century drought but also outperformed the previous Indian captain, MS Dhoni, to accomplish a coveted achievement during the second ODI against South Africa on Thursday.
Pakistan thumped the hosts by 81 runs in the second ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at Newlands.
The guests posted 329 runs while batting first against South Africa, with Babar Azam scoring 73 runs from 95 balls with the help of seven boundaries.
This was Babar’s 33rd half-century in ODI cricket, but it was his first since November 2023. His last 50 years was an unbeaten 66-run thump against New Zealand during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
South Africa made the surprising choice to bowl first on a pitch known for its trouble pursuing under lights. Pakistan took full advantage, swiftly scoring a total of 329 runs.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan secured the innings with a consistent 80 from 82 balls, while Kamran Ghulam’s aggressive 63 from only 32 deliveries gave Pakistan the essential momentum.
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Babar Azam contributed 73 from 95 balls, and the group profited from some poor fielding by South Africa, who dropped a few catches and attempted to keep up with bowling accuracy.
Accordingly, South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen fought back with a strong innings of 74 runs from 74 balls, but his efforts were to no end as Pakistan’s bowlers confined the hosts to 248 all out in 43.1 overs.
With this victory, Babar Azam left a mark on the world, outperforming MS Dhoni’s record for fifty or more scores against SENA nations.
Babar’s fifty was his 39th, edging ahead of Dhoni’s 38 fifty or more scores across all formats against South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.
Before this match, the two players were tied with 38 fifty-or-more scores in SENA countries.
Babar Azam, who stepped down as Pakistan’s captain after their exit from the ODI World Cup, has played more than 300 matches for the national cricket team across all arrangements. During his career, he has accumulated over 14,000 runs, including 31 centuries and 95 half-centuries.