Opener Shai Hope defied Pakistan’s much-vaunted bowling attack and sweltering Multan heat to lift the West Indies to a solid 305-8 in the first day-night international on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Barbadian knocked 134-ball 127 for his 12th one-day international century after West Indies won the toss and opted to bat on a flat Multan stadium pitch.
Hope, who cracked 15 boundaries and a six, added an innings-building 154 with Shamarh Brooks after the visitors’ lost opener Kyle Mayers for three in the third over, caught and bowled by pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Brooks scored a polished 83-ball 70 with seven boundaries.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf, best of home bowlers with 4-77, ended Hope’s knock when he bowled him with a slower delivery in the 44th over.
The scorching Multan heat — with temperatures soaring to between 40 to 42 degrees Celsius (104 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit — did not stop Hope and Brooks, who both batted with guts and power.
Teams
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Riz-wan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Jo-seph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Junior
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK) TV umpire: Rashid Riaz (PAK) Match refe-ree: Mohammad Javed (PAK)—AFP
