Babar’s purple patch lights up ODI cricket's Pakistan return

S.M. HUSSAIN: The significance of this tour is far greater than the unavailability of ‘star’ players; it’s the visiting international team – Sri Lanka – which matters to the people of Pakistan

A terrorist threat warning from the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s office, ten ‘top’ players withdrawing from the tour, endless conspiracy theories.

An international team doesn’t go through this ordeal before embarking on a cricket tour. But then we are talking about Sri Lanka’s tour to Pakistan – a ‘full’ tour after ten years.

It doesn’t stop here; when Pakistan and Sri Lanka reached National Stadium Karachi to play the first ODI on September 27 they were in for a surprise.

Supposedly, the monsoon system in the Arabian Sea had withered away, but on the morning of the match the heavens opened up and it rained hard. First-ever ODI washout in Karachi! Yes, but does it surprise you? Perhaps not! Good things don’t come easy.

The last time the two teams had met in an ODI in Pakistan, the hosts got a hiding from the Lankans when they lost the match by 234 runs in Lahore. In this barren decade, the cricket-starved nation has only been visited by the Zimbabwe team, who played three ODIs in 2015.

The significance of this tour is far greater than the unavailability of ‘star’ players; it’s the visiting international team – Sri Lanka – which matters to the people of Pakistan.

The young Pakistani leggie Shadab Khan was 11 when that dreadful terrorist incident happened in Lahore in 2009. He said before the 2nd ODI match: “It feels fantastic to play my first ever ODI in front of my home crowd.”

On the field, it was the old bright and sunny weather in Karachi. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Despite the recent rains, the wicket was as dry as bone. The brownish tinge on the pitch indicated that batsmen had to graft for their innings. Sri Lanka opened with off-spinner Shehan Jayasuriya who completed a first-over maiden.

It was a quiet but solid start by the Pakistani openers, other than the moment when Fakhar came down the wicket and heaved Shehan Jayasuriya for a lovely six at mid-wicket. Sri Lanka drew first blood and broke the 71 runs opening partnership when de Silva trapped Imam-ul-Haq lbw; he made 31.

Fakhar made 54, but he never looked comfortable at the crease, he got out playing an airy-fairy shot, caught by Isuru Udana at mid-off.

It appeared that Babar Azam was batting on a different wicket altogether. His straight drive for four was breathtaking to watch. The left-arm angle of Udana seemed to have worked fine for Babar. He took 55 balls to reach his fifty.

He caressed the ball, his off-side shots and silky wrist work was unrivalled, his innings was the highlight of Pakistan's batting. Unequivocally, he is enjoying a purple patch.

^{Babar Azam reached his 11th ODI century}

He was particularly harsh on PWH de Silva and hoisted him for two huge sixes in his one over. Babar reached his eleventh ODI hundred by cutting Lahiru Kumara to the point boundary.

Not only did Babar become the fastest basman to reach 1,000 runs in a calendar year for Pakistan, but he also surpassed Virat Kohli and became the third-fastest batsmen to reach 11 ODI centuries.

He made 115. Later, Babar said: “My performance in the World Cup gave me confidence. I’ve also learned a lot by playing county cricket in England, it has helped me improve my batting.”

Iftikhar Ahmed was playing an ODI after a hiatus of four years and he didn’t disappoint the ‘chief selector’ – Misbah – who happens to be quite fond of him. His little cameo innings of 32 not out off 20 balls enabled the home team to cross the 300 mark.

Opening bowler Usman Shinwari steamed in and set the NSK ablaze with excitement. He beat the Lankans with his pace. He fancies bowling to the Sri Lankan batsmen; last time he played against them he bowled with an immense intensity on a flat pitch at Sharjah and took five wickets; today was no different he bowled with the same severity and took the same haul.

Chasing a target of 306, if you’ve lost five wickets for a paltry 28, then the rest of the match more or less becomes academic. But Jayasuriya (96) and Dasun Shanaka (68) had other plans. They both batted with purpose and took the total score to 205 for six.

It was again Shinwari who broke the 177-run record sixth-wicket partnership against Pakistan. He got the prized wicket of Jayasuriya. Pakistan won the match by 67 runs.

The visitors will have been disappointed by their performance. Other than Jayasuriya and Shanaka no batsman was able to stay at the wicket for long enough. But Sri Lanka still have one more ODI to play. If they are able to draw the series 1-1 with a young team, they will be over the moon. 

If this tour goes well, the guests will be returning in December to play two Test matches. Perhaps never before has Test cricket been so dependent on a one-day series.