PAK vs ZIM: 2020, 3rd ODI – A game of hundreds and fifers, Babar Azam's record ton and more stats

Zimbabwe opened their account in the CWC Super League following a Super Over win against Pakistan during the last game of the 3-match ODI series. The visitors were reduced to 22/3 but an unbeaten century from Sean Williams (118*) and his partnerships with Brendan Taylor (56), Sikandar Raza (45) and Wesley Madhevere (33) got Zimbabwe to 278/6.

Pakistan too collapsed against the new ball as they were reduced to 20/3 which soon became 88/5 but skipper Babar Azam (125) carried on his fight. Babar was eventually dismissed in the penultimate over bowled by Blessing Muzarabani, who completed a 5-wicket haul. The last pair helped Pakistan to a tie but Muzarabani guided Zimbabwe to 10 points in Super League with his 2-run Super Over.

Here are all the statistical highlights from Zimbabwe’s Super Over win during the 3rd PAK vs ZIM ODI:

Zimbabwe get the better of Pakistan after two decades:

1998 – The last instance of Pakistan failing to defeat Zimbabwe in a completed match at home in International cricket was in 1998. Zimbabwe lost the ODI series by 1-2 before winning the Test series 1-0. Since that tour, Zimbabwe ended up on the losing side in all completed international matches against Pakistan in Pakistan until Tuesday’s fixture.

Individual performances galore:

1 – The 3rd PAK vs ZIM ODI is the first-ever match in ODI history where multiple players scored hundreds and multiple players took 5-wicket hauls. Sean Williams (118*) and Babar Azam (125) scored hundreds while Mohammad Hasnain (5/26) and Blessing Muzarabani (5/49) took 5-wicket hauls.

1 – Sean Williams (118*) and Blessing Muzarabani (5/49) recorded the first-ever instance of a century and a 5-wicket haul for Zimbabwe in the same ODI match. The closest such instance for Zimbabwe was in the 2000 Cape Town ODI against England where Neil Johnson scored 97 while Henry Olonga claimed a 6-wicket haul.

A record ton by Babar:

125 – Babar Azam’s 125-run knock during the 3rd PAK vs ZIM ODI is now the highest individual score by a Pakistan captain in ODI cricket. Previous highest was Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 122 against India during the 2004 Karachi ODI.

Babar’s 125 is now also the 2nd highest individual score by a Pakistan captain in ODI cricket. Shoaib Malik also scored 125 during the 2008 Karachi ODI against India but remained unbeaten.

75 – Babar Azam took 75 innings for his 12th hundred in the ODI format; the 3rd quickest across men’s and women’s cricket. Meg Lanning scored her 12th ODI ton in her 68th inning while Quinton de Kock in his 74th innings.

A series of 5-wicket hauls:

1 – The PAK vs ZIM ODI series became the first bilateral series in the history of ODI cricket to witness four 5-wicket hauls. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain and Blessing Muzarabani are the four bowlers to pick 5-fers during the series.

3 – Pakistan became the first team in ODI cricket to have three players taking a 5-wicket haul during a 3-match ODI series. Overall, Pakistan during the PAK vs ZIM ODI series became only the 3rd team with three 5-fers in a bilateral ODI series.

Waqar Younis (2) and Saleem Malik accounted for three 5-fers during the 1990 home series against New Zealand while Australia trio of Brad Hogg, Michael Clarke and Michael Kasprowicz took fifers during their 5-match series in Sri Lanka in 2004.

Middle and lower order batsmen to the rescue:

514 – The 514 runs aggregated for the 4th and lower wickets during the 3rd ODI by both Pakistan and Zimbabwe are the 2nd most number of runs amassed in an ODI after the fall of 3rd wicket. The 2017 Cuttack ODI between India and England witnessed a total of 552 runs after the loss of 3rd wicket.