RAWALPINDI: Fakhar Zaman played a marathon knock of unbeaten 180 to steer Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory in the second game PAK vs NZ ODI series and claimed multiple records in the process.
The left-hander smashed 17 boundaries and six maximums during his record-breaking knock as Men in Green successfully chased the massive 337-run target – the second highest-run chase by Pakistan in ODIs – with 10 balls to spare.
The 33-year-old registered a host of individual records in the match as he became the fastest batter not just from the country but from Asia to complete 3000 ODI runs and just the fourth Pakistani to hit three consecutive centuries in the format.
Fakhar took only 67 innings to pile up 3000 runs as he surpassed his team skipper Babar Azam, who took 68 innings to reach the landmark.
🚨 RECORD ALERT 🚨@FakharZamanLive completes 3️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ runs in ODIs 🌟#PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/jLHA3F0Mkf
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 29, 2023
He also joined the rare list of only four Pakistan cricketers who scored three straight centuries – the feat earlier achieved by Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas and Babar(twice).
Fakhar’s back-to-back centuries at Pindi Cricket Stadium, took Pakistan to a 2-0 lead in the series as he outshone New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell for the second time in a row.
Besides, Fakhar’s blitzkrieg knock is the highest score by any Pakistan batter in a successful ODI run chase.
Batting first, New Zealand put up a decent total on the board on the back of a brilliant century by Daryl Mitchell and a vital 98-run knock by skipper Tom Latham.
Mitchell smashed eight boundaries and three sixes on his way to top score for New Zealand with a 119-ball 129.
The target set by New Zealand eventually proved insufficient for their bowlers to defend at the back of resounding knocks by their openers Fakhar Zaman and skipper Babar.
Fakhar Zaman continued his magnificent form to score his second-consecutive century and top-scored for Pakistan in the run chase.
Babar, however, looked confident to replicate Fakhar but fell short as he fell victim to Ish Sodhi after scoring an important 65 in 66 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and a six.
The two sides will now take on each other in the third fixture of the five-match ODI series at the National Bank Cricket Arena as the action shifts to Karachi, which will host the remaining three ODIs on May 3, 5 and 7.
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