Babar Azam ended his long wait for a century by scoring an unbeaten hundred against Sri Lanka in the second ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on November 14. This achievement marked his 20th ODI century, equalling Saeed Anwar's record for most ODI hundreds by a Pakistan player. Babar had not scored a century in international cricket for 807 days before this innings. He reached this milestone in just 136 innings, taking 108 fewer matches than Anwar to achieve the same feat. His 119-ball knock earned him the Player of the Match award as Pakistan won by eight wickets, securing an unassailable series lead. Pakistan successfully chased down Sri Lanka's total of 288 for 8, with Babar and Mohammad Rizwan sharing an unbeaten partnership that took their team home comfortably.
Match Summary and Record Partnership
Pakistan chose to field after winning the toss. Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed each claimed three wickets, restricting Sri Lanka to 288 for 8 in 50 overs. Six Sri Lankan batsmen scored over 20 runs, but only Janith Liyanage converted his start into a half-century, scoring 54 off 63 balls. Chasing the target, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub for 33 off 25 balls and Fakhar Zaman in the 31st over. Babar Azam then joined Mohammad Rizwan to form an unbeaten 112-run partnership off 105 balls. Dushmantha Chameera was the only wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in the chase. Pakistan secured victory with eight wickets remaining.
Source: Link