Pakistan-Sri Lanka ODI Series Was a Record Breaker & Here’s Why

The ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was a sad spectacle for Sri Lankan fans, however, it turned out to be a record-fest.

What’s even more amazing is that the record list is full of youngsters. Imam ul Haq, Hasan Ali, Usman Khan and Shadab ruled the series’ list of records and rightfully so.

Let’s look at the records which were made during the recently concluded ODI series.

Team Records

• The clean sweep against Sri Lanka was the first ever for Pakistan in the UAE.
• Bowling out SL in 26.2 overs comes in as second fewest overs taken by Pakistan to dismiss a team, the fastest one being 20 overs against Ireland in 2011.
• Sri Lanka suffered their 3rd clean sweep in 2017; no team has ever been whitewashed thrice in a year. SL’s fifth match loss was their 12th successive defeat in ODIs.
• Pakistan now has 9 successive wins in ODIs, 3 short of their longest winning streak ever.
• Pakistan’s strike rate of 28.6 in 2017 is their best ever and third-best overall; South Africa enjoyed a strike rate of 27.20 in 2011.
• Pakistan team hasn’t bowled a no-ball in a series for the first time ever. This is the fourth time ever that a 5-match series has been concluded without a single no-ball.

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Read More: Hasan Ali Breaks 3 Cricketing Records in Just One Day

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Individual Records

Pakistani bowlers were brilliant throughout the series, particularly Hasan Ali who has made a habit of breaking records.

• Hasan Ali now has the second-best average (19.82) after 26 matches, second only to the great West Indian Joel Garner (18.84). Since his debut on Aug 18, 2016, Hasan has taken the most number of wickets (56), Adil Rashid is 2nd with 44 scalps.
• Hasan Ali is now the leading wicket-taker in 2017 with 45 wickets. He also became the quickest Pakistani to 50 wickets (24) surpassing Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq (27). His current tally of 56 wickets in 26 matches is second only to Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis who had 62 in the same number of matches; he leads the list of fast-bowlers in the same category.
• Babar Azam has scored 7 centuries in 34 innings, the fastest by any batsman in ODI history.
• Hasan’s 14 wickets are the most by a Pakistani bowler in a 5-match series.
• Usman Khan’s 5 wickets off 21 balls is the third quickest 5-wicket haul in ODIs. Chaminda Vaas leads the way with a 16-ball five-for.
• Hafeez and Hasan Ali rose to number 1 in ICC rankings in all-rounders and bowlers category respectively. It is only the second time a Pakistani fast bowler has claimed the number one spot, the first one being Wasim Akram in 1996.
• S Samarawikrama became the third player to get out on duck in the first 2 ODIs; he shares the record with Sachin Tendulkar and Kane Williamson.
• Shadab Khan’s 2 wickets in 2 balls was the 139th time a bowler has been on a hat-trick in ODIs.
• Since his debut, Hasan Ali is the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in all the series except against West Indies in 2016.
• Imam ul Haq became the third youngest and only the second Pakistani to score a century on debut.
• Upul Tharanga became the only captain in ODI history to carry the bat; he is the 11th player overall to bat through the innings without getting out.

The T20I series is starting from today and the cricket fans are hoping to see a better display from the depleted Sri Lankan side.