Published: Oct 05, 2016, 07:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 05, 2016, 08:05 PM (IST)
Young Pakistani batsman Babar Azam scripted his name in the books of cricketing history when he became only the second player in the history of the game to score 3 hundreds in a three-match series. He reached the milestone when he got to the 100th run in the third One-Day International (ODI) against West Indies at Abu Dhabi. Azam had earlier scored 123 and 120 in the second and first ODI respectively. He has thus become only the second player in the history of ODIs to score 3 hundreds in a three-match series after Quinton De Kock, who did the same against India in 2013.
Besides this record, Azam also achieved a few landmarks in his career. He became the first Pakistani batsman to score in excess of 300 runs in a three-match ODI series. He also became the overall leading scorer in a three-match ODI bilateral series. In the process, the 21-year-old cricketer also joined the elite list of the likes of Pakistan heavyweights Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar, Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakara, South African sensation AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Quinton de Kock and Ross Taylor. Of all these men, Sangakara is the only one to score 4 hundreds in a row and holds record for the same.
Here are some of the top tweets on Azam’s effort:
Special talent #BabarAzam. Three 100s in a row. What a performance. Congratulations super star!
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam has scored the most runs ever by any batsman after 18 ODI innings. Previous record holder was Viv Richards with 883 runs #Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam is first Pakistani player to score centuries in all the three games of 3-match bilateral ODI series. #Cricket #PAKvWI #Pakistan
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam is doing surgical strikes in UAE #PAKvWI
— Faizistan (@newnstien) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam
8th batsman to score three 100s in a row in ODIs
2nd youngest
2nd to do so in a 3-match series
3rd Pakistani#PakvWI— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) October 5, 2016
Game 3
Tons 3
Remember the Azam – Babar Azam.
2nd youngest one to do so.
Most runs in 3 match ODI series #PAKvWI— Nikhil Popat (@CricCrazyNIKS) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam
– 1st to score career’s 1st 3 100s in consecutive inns
– 2nd to make 3 100s in a 3-match series
– 8th to score 3 consecutive 100s— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) October 5, 2016
– Babar Azam joins the elite list!! Third Pakistani, eighth overall to have scored three consecutive ODI hundreds. #PAKvWI
— Asif Khan (@mak_asif) October 5, 2016
Most consecutive ODI 100s:
4 Sangakkara
3 Zaheer Anwar Gibbs ABD QdK RTaylor BABAR AZAM#PAKvWI— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) October 5, 2016
Babar Azam, you beauty.
He is one of the most technically sound batsman to play for Pakistan in the last decade. Way to go boy #PAKvWI— Ayaz Samoo (@ayazsamoo) October 5, 2016
– these innings, in this weather, speak volumes about Babar Azam’s fitness level as well.
— Asif Khan (@mak_asif) October 5, 2016
Most runs in a 3 Match Odis series
Baber Azam : 360 v WI 2016
de Kock : 342 v IND 2013
Guptil : 330 v ENG 2013
Tamim Iqbal : 312 v PAK 2015— JSK (@imjsk27) October 5, 2016
Remember the name, Babar Azam!#PAKvWI
— Chinmay Jawalekar (@CricfreakTweets) October 5, 2016
Azam also became only the third Pakistani to have scored 3consecutive ODI hundreds. His innings ended on 117 when Kieron Pollard cleaned him up. He finished with 360 runs in the series at a majestic average of 120. His heroics were hailed on Twitter as he trended during his record-breaking innings.
