Pakistan rout Windies by 82 runs to seal T20I series

KARACHI: Pakistan recorded their second successive victory against West Indies to wrap the three-match T20I series 2-0 with one match remaining here at the National Stadium on Monday night.

This is Pakistan's seventh successive T20I series win and thus Pakistan have consolidated their No. 1 ranking in the shortest form of cricket.

Besides, Sarfraz Ahmed has never lost a series as captain.

Winning the toss, Pakistan batted first and piled up a mammoth total of 205 for three and then bowled out the visitors for 123 in 19.2 overs to emerge victorious by 82 runs.

Pacer Mohammad Amir was the most successful bowler with three for 22 while spinners Hussain Talat and Shadab Khan claimed two wickets each.

For West Indies, Chadwick Walton top scored with 40 from 28 balls, smashing five fours and two sixes while none of the other batsmen could make any significant contribution.

Pakistan had won the first T20I by 143 runs, their largest margin of win and the second biggest victory in this format of the game after Sri Lanka.

Babar Azam was declared Man-of-the-Match, who scored an unbeaten 97 – his highest in T20I career.

Needing four runs from the last two balls of the innings he could take just a single off the final ball - three runs short of his first T20I hundred.

However, he succeeded to steer Pakistan to their record total of 205 for three, eclipsing 203-5 scored yesterday against the same opponents and at the same venue, and 203-5 at the same venue against Bangladesh in 2008.

Babar hammered 13 fours and a six during his 58-ball innings and added 119 runs for the second wicket with Hussain Talat, who contributed 63 from 41 balls with eight fours and a six.

This was the first half-century for young Hussain in his second T20 International after he had scored 41 on debut.

The third and the final T20I of the series will be played on April 3 at the same venue.