BULAWAYO: Fakhar Zaman blazed Pakistan’s first double century in a One-day International in a record 244-run victory against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club here on Friday.

Fakhar’s unbeaten 210 off 156 balls guided Pakistan to their highest ever ODI total of 399-1 after Pakistan won their first toss of the series and elected to bat.

Zimbabwe’s dismal batting continued in the five-match series as the hosts were bowled out for 155 in 42.4 overs to lose their fourth straight match by a heavy margin.

Fakhar’s opening partner, young Imam-ul-Haq, scored 113, his second century of the series, as the left-handers notched another record-breaking 304 for the first wicket.

The triple century partnership was the highest ever for the opening wicket in the history of ODIs — surpassing 286 put on by Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga against England at Headingley in 2006 — and the fourth biggest ever for any wicket.

Fakhar smashed 24 fours and five sixes and went on to become the sixth batsman to score a double century in the international 50-over format.

In the series he has already scored two centuries and a half-century with the final match of the series still to come on Sunday.

“Terrific effort by the two openers,” Sarfraz Ahmed said after captaining Pakistan to their second biggest victory in ODIs. “When we went to the field our target was to bowl them out for 160 and we bowled them out for 155, which was really good. We will try our level best to win the next match, too.”

Fakhar said Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur wanted him to score a double century in case Pakistan won the toss and batted first on Friday.

And Fakhar didn’t disappoint the South African. He and Imam virtually toyed with Zimbabwe’s inexperienced bowlers, who at times were wayward in their line and length.

Fakhar reached his century off 92 balls when he belted spinner Wellington Masakadza to the cover boundary, while Imam soon followed him by completing his hundred off 112 balls.

Wellington Masakadza finally broke the world-record stand in the 32nd over when Imam, who hit eight fours, swept hard but found the fielder at deep midwicket.

Fakhar surpassed Pakistan’s previous highest ODI score of 194 by Saeed Anwar, against India at Chennai in May 1997, twhen he swung seamer Donald Tiripano’s full toss to midwicket for four, and reached his double century with a crisp cover driven boundary off paceman Blessing Muzarabani in the next over.

“At the start, Imam was playing very well and supported me very well, but today was my day,” Fakhar said. “I feel extremely proud at scoring the first [ODI] double century for Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s other find of the series, Asif Ali, hit a robust 50 off 22 balls as Pakistan beat their previous highest total of 385-7 against Bangladesh at Dambulla during the Asia Cup match eight years ago.

Zimbabwe’s top order stumbled against Pakistan seamers Faheem Ashraf (2-16) and Usman Khan (2-23) before leg-spinner Shadab Khan quickly bundled out the tailenders with a four-wicket haul.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Imam-ul-Haq c Musakanda b W. Masakadza 113
Fakhar Zaman not out 210
Asif Ali not out 50

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-17) 26

TOTAL (for one wkt, 50 overs) 399

FALL OF WKT: 1-304.

DID NOT BAT: Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Usman Khan Shinwari.

BOWLING: Muzarabani 10-0-77-0 (3w); Ngarava 7-0-65-0 (1w); Tiripano 10-0-85-0 (3w); Chisoro 10-0-56-0 (2w); W.P. Masakadza 10-0-78-1 (6w); H. Masakadza 3-0-29-0.

ZIMBABWE:

H. Masakadza c Babar b Junaid 22
T.S. Kamunhukamwe c and b Usman 3
T.K. Musakanda c Faheem b Usman 10
R. Murray c Sarfraz b Faheem 5
P.J. Moor c Junaid b Shadab 20
E. Chigumbura lbw b Faheem 37
D.T. Tiripano b Shadab 44
W.P. Masakadza lbw b Shadab 2
T.S. Chisoro c Usman b Malik 1
B. Muzarabani not out 1
R. Ngarava lbw b Shadab 1

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-3) 9

TOTAL (all out, 42.4 overs) 155

FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-36, 3-37, 4-59, 5-67, 6-136, 7-146, 8-153, 9-153.

BOWLING: Junaid Khan 6-1-32-1 (1w); Usman Khan Shinwari 5-0-23-2 (1w); Yasir Shah 10-0-31-0 (1w); Faheem Ashraf 7-1-16-2; Shadab Khan 8.4-0-28-4; Shoaib Malik 6-0-19-1.

RESULT: Pakistan won by 244 runs to lead five-match series 4-0.

UMPIRES: L. Rusere (Zimbabwe) and I.J. Gould (England.

TV UMPIRE: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Fakhar Zaman.

FIFTH & FINAL MATCH: Bulawayo, Sunday (12:15pm PST).

Highest individual innings in ODIs

264 R.G. Sharma (India) vs Sri Lanka Kolkata 2014
237* M.J. Guptill (New Zealand) vs West Indies Wellington 2015
219 V. Sehwag (India) vs West Indies Indore 2011
215 C.H. Gayle (West Indies) vs Afghanistan Perth 2015
210* Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan) vs Zimbabwe Bulawayo 2018
209 R.G. Sharma (India) vs Australia Bangalore 2013
208* R.G. Sharma (India) vs Sri Lanka Mohali 2017
200* S.R. Tendulkar (India) vs South Africa Gwalior 2010
194* C.K. Coventry (Zimbabwe) vs Bangladesh Bulawayo 2009
194 Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) vs India Chennai 1997
189* I.V.A. Richards (West Indies) vs England Old Trafford 1984
189* M.J. Guptill (New Zealand) vs England Southampton 2013
189 S.T. Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) vs India Sharjah 2000

Highest team totals in ODIs

481-6 England vs Australia Trent Bridge 2018
444-3 England vs Pakistan Trent Bridge 2016
443-9 Sri Lanka vs Netherlands Amstelveen 2006
439-2 South Africa vs West Indies Johannesburg 2015
438-9 South Africa vs Australia Johannesburg 2006
438-4 South Africa vs India Mumbai 2015
434-4 Australia vs South Africa Johannesburg 2006
418-5 South Africa vs Zimbabwe Potchefstroom 2006
418-5 India vs West Indies Indore 2011
417-6 Australia vs Afghanistan Perth 2015
414-7 India vs Sri Lanka Rajkot 2009
413-5 India vs Bermuda Port-of-Spain 2007
411-8 Sri Lanka vs India Rajkot 2009
411-4 South Africa vs Ireland Canberra 2015
408-5 South Africa vs West Indies Sydney 2015
408-9 England vs New Zealand Edgbaston 2015
404-5 India vs Sri Lanka Kolkata 2014
402-2 New Zealand vs Ireland Aberdeen 2008
401-3 India vs South Africa Gwalior 2010
399-6 South Africa vs Zimbabwe Benoni 2010
399-9 England vs South Africa Bloemfontein 2016
399-1 Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Bulawayo 2018

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2018