Pakistan completed their group-stage matches in the tri-nation series in New Zealand with a 7-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Hagley Oval, thanks to another century opening partnership between Babar and Rizwan.
While chasing the target of 174 runs, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan opened the innings in style. Both openers smashed half-centuries and set up 101 runs partnership off 75 balls, as Rizwan top-scored with 69 off 55.
The all-format captain, who struck 55 runs off 40 balls including nine boundaries, reached another milestone in international cricket as he completed a century of scoring fifty-plus runs across formats.
The 27-year-old has now scored seven hundreds and 24 fifties in red-ball cricket, 17 centuries and 22 fifties in ODIs, and two centuries and 29 fifties in Twenty20 Internationals.
Format | Innings | 50+ Scores | |
| 100s | 50s | ||
| Test | 75 | 7 | 23 |
| ODI | 90 | 17 | 22 |
| T20I | 85 | 2 | 29 |
The Lahore-born cricketer also broke Indian batting great, Virat Kohli’s record by becoming the fastest Asian batter to score 11,000 international runs across all formats. Babar reached the milestone in 251 innings, while Kohli did it in 261 innings.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Men in Green will now face the Kane Williamson-led side in the final scheduled for Friday, October 14 at Hagley Oval before departing for the T20 World Cup.