MULTAN: World number one batsman Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed scored punishing hundreds as Pakistan opened the Asia Cup with a resounding 238-run win over newcomers Nepal on Wednesday.

Skipper Babar smashed a 131-ball 151 for his 19th ODI hundred while Iftikhar scored an unbeaten 109 in 71 balls for his first as Pakistan piled up 342-6 in 50 overs after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat in the Group ‘A’ game.

The home team then bundled out Nepal for a mere 104 in 23.4 overs with leg-spinner Shadab Khan taking 4-27 while the pace duo of Haris Rauf took 2-16 and Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-27.

Only Sompal Kami (28), Aarif Sheikh (26) and Gulsan Jha (13) made it into double figures as Nepal struggled against Pakistan’s much-vaunted bowling attack.

The win gives Pakistan, who rose to world number one in the ODI rankings last week, an ideal start and perfect tune up for the high profile clash against arch-rivals India in Pallekele on Saturday.

Babar admitted victory was the perfect platform for the duel against India — first ODI between the arch-rivals since 2019.

“This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence,” said Babar who became the fastest to 19 ODI hundreds in 102 innings, beating South Africa’s Has­h­im Amla whose 19 came in 104. “We want to give 100 per cent every match.”

Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel described the match as “a good learning” experience.

“We started well but Babar and Iftikhar took the game away,” said Paudel. “We let ourselves down with the bat, but it’s a good learning.”

Nepal, playing in the Asia Cup for the first time, ran a few jitters in the Pakistan ranks when Fakhar Zaman (14) edged Karan Khatri Chhetri while Imam-ul-Haq couldn’t beat a strong throw of Paudel from mid-on and got run-out for five.

But these early setbacks didn’t deter the confidence of top-ranked batter Babar, who first added 86 with Mohammad Rizwan (44) and then annihilated Nepal spin and pace with a brisk partnership of 214 off 131 balls with Iftikhar.

Rizwan was run-out off another superlative fielding effort of Dipendra Singh Airee close to the halfway of the innings before Babar and Iftikhar routed Nepal’s inexperienced bowlers. Babar took his time to reach his half-century off 72 balls while Iftikhar was more attacking before raising his maiden ODI hundred off 67 balls.

Nepalese fielders were brilliant in patches, but had several fielding lapses in hot and humid weather of Multan. Imam was dropped at gully by Aarif Sheikh just before he was run-out while Babar got reprieve soon after he had completed his half-century. Nepalese fielders in the outfield fumbled several times and conceded boundaries.

Fast bowlers Sompal Kami (2-85) and leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane (1-69) were smacked for boundaries at will that included a couple of one-handed sixes by Babar at backward square leg.

Both batters dominated the latter half of the innings as Pakistan smacked 129 runs off the last 60 balls before Kami picked up the consolation wickets of Babar and Shadab in the last over. Babar holed out at mid-off and Shadab got clean bowled off the final delivery.

Shaheen lived up to his reputation of picking up early wickets in white-ball cricket when he had Kushal Bhurtel (eight) caught behind and then pinned Paudel plumb leg before wicket off the next delivery.

Naseem Shah then found a thick outside edge of Aasif Sheikh’s bat as Nepal slipped to 14-3 inside the first two overs. Kami and Aarif combined in a 59-run stand before Haris removed both batters in successive overs and Shadab picked up four wickets in quick time.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman c Sheikh b Karan 14

Imam ul-Haq run out (Rohit) 5

Babar Azam c (Sub) b Kami 151

Mohammad Rizwan run out Airee 44

Agha Salman c Bhurtel b Lamichhane 5

Iftikhar Ahmed not out 109

Shadab Khan b Kami 4

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-2, W-7) 10

TOTAL (for six wickets, 50 overs) 342

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-21 (Fakhar), 2-25 (Imam), 3-111 (Rizwan), 4-124 (Salman), 5-338 (Babar), 6-342 (Shadab)

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

BOWLING: Kami 10-1 -85-2 (1w), Karan 9-0-54-1 (3w), Jha 4-0-35-0 (3w, 1nb), Rajbanshi 10-0-48-0 (1nb), Lamichhane 10-0-69-1, Airee 6-0-40-0, Bhurtel 1-0-10-0

NEPAL:

K. Bhurtel c Rizwan b Shaheen 8

A. Sheikh c Iftikhar b Naseem 5

R. Paudel lbw Shaheen 0

A. Sheikh b Haris 26

S. Kami c Rizwan b Haris 28

G. Jha c Zaman b Shadab 13

D. Singh Airee b Nawaz 3

K. Malla c Iftikhar b Shadab 6

S. Lamichhane b Shadab 0

Karan KC not out 7

L. Rajbanshi lbw Shadab 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-4) 8

TOTAL (all out, 23.4 overs) 104

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-10 (Bhurtel), 2-10 (Paudel), 3-14 (Sheikh), 4-73 (Sheikh), 5-82 (Kami), 6-90 (Airee), 7-91 (Jha), 8-91 (Lamichhane), 9-104 (Malla)

BOWLING: Shaheen 5-0-27-2, Naseem 5-0-17-1 (2w), Haris 5-1-16-2 (1w), Shadab 6.4-0-27-4 (1w), Nawaz 2-0-13-1

RESULT: Pakistan won by 238 runs.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023