Daily Times

ABU DHABI: Babar Azam struck his third successive ton as Pakistan downed West Indies by 136 runs in the third and final one-day international at Shiekh Zayed Stadium here on Wednesday night, registering a 3-0 whitewash. Fast-rising star Babar is only the third batsman from Pakistan and eighth in the world to notch three hundreds in as many matches. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara holds the record with four centuries in as many games. Pakistan’s Zaheer Abbass and Saeed Anwar, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock, and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor are others to achieve the milestone.

Babar scored 117 and skipper Azhar Ali made 101 in Pakistan’s 308-6 before the West Indies were restricted to 172 in 44 overs. Pakistan won the first two games by 111 and 59 runs — both in Sharjah. Babar was bowled by Kieron Pollard in the 46th over after hitting eight boundaries and a six in another dominating exhibition of batting. Azhar, who failed in the first two games with a first-ball duck and nine, scored a 109-ball 101 with eight boundaries and a six. He and fellow opener Sharjeel Khan (38) put Pakistan on track for a big total with a solid 85-run start in 14.1 overs as West Indies’ new-ball attack struggled.

The clean sweep followed Pakistan’s 3-0 whitewash in the preceding Twenty20 series. For the West Indies, the last two weeks have been a disappointing and harrowing experience. Not much has clicked for the World T20 champs – be it with the ball or with the bat. Like the T20 series, the ODI series was also a one-sided affair as Pakistan’s bowlers made sure the big targets remained just that. Pakistan big total looked beyond West Indies almost from the start of their scratchy, plodding reply. The margin of victory could have been even bigger had Pakistan’s middle and lower-order batsmen fully capitalised on the strong launchpad provided by Babar and Azhar.

But if the end of Pakistan’s innings appeared anti-climactic, it was still lively compared to the dreary run-chase that followed. Showing an inability to rotate the strike, against pace and spin alike, West Indies’ batsmen got stuck and never approached the run rate required to mount a genuine challenge. By the end of the 30th over, West Indies had soaked up 112 dot balls – as many as Pakistan had faced in their entire innings – and were wallowing in the gloom of impending defeat with the score 119 for 5. Their limp effort continued thereafter as the match drifted towards its inevitable conclusion.