Abu Dhabi, Oct 19 (TNS): Imam-ul-Haq, the nephew of former Pakistan batsman and captain Inzamam, scored a century on debut as Sarfraz Ahmed’s side thrashed Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Abu Dhabi to seal an ODI series win.
The 21-year-old reached his ton from 124 balls in the third ODI as Pakistan coasted past Sri Lanka’s 208 all out with 7.3 overs in reserve to move 3-0 up in the five-match series.
Imam – whose uncle Inzamam is Pakistan’s leading run scorer in ODIs with 11,701 – was given out caught behind on 89 but earned a reprieve with wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella adjudged to have not gathered the ball cleanly.
The left-hander eventually gloved behind but Pakistan eased to a seventh straight victory in ODI cricket and condemned Sri Lanka to a 10th consecutive defeat in the format.
Hasan Ali had earlier become the fastest Pakistani to 50 ODI wickets – the seamer’s career-best 5-34 ensuring he reached the milestone in 24 games, three fewer than it took Waqar Younis.
Hasan’s burst, coupled with leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s 2-37, saw Sri Lanka buckle from 102-1 at the halfway stage – Shadab picking up the key wicket of captain Upul Tharanga (61).
Pakistan – victorious by 83 and 32 runs respectively in the first two ODIs, thanks largely to back-to-back centuries from Babar Azam – lost only Babar (30), Fakhar Zaman (29) and finally Imam in their chase.
Imam, who struck five fours and two sixes, fared better than Inzamam did on debut – Pakistan’s now chairman of selectors making just 20 on his one-day-international bow against West Indies in 1991.
Hasan was the star man with the ball, however – his figures surpassing the 5-38 he scooped against West Indies in Guyana in April and taking him to a world leading 40 wickets in ODIs for 2017.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka now move on to Sharjah for the final two ODIs of the series, before heading back to Abu Dhabi for the first T20Is and then on to Lahore for the third.
