Dubai: Amid the historic win pulled off by Pakistan against India, one record went unnoticed. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's 152-run match-winning stand was the biggest opening partnership in the history of the Men's T20 World Cup.
The partnership pipped the previous record of Chris Gayle and Devon Smith, who had stitched 145 runs partnership for the first wicket against South Africa in 2007.
Babar and Rizwan's partnership also is Pakistan's second-biggest partnership in a T20I for any wicket.
Rizwan got off to the perfect start while chasing the 152 runs target set by India batting first. The opener flicked the second ball of Pakistan's innings for boundary off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and then crunched one over the rope for maximum of the next delivery.
The early flourish took pressure off the pair, and they played sensibly, plenty of singles and twos in five of the first eight overs. But, they did not miss any opportunity to send hittable balls to the fence.
The required run rate was beginning to climb on the chart in the stingy 12th over bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. But Babar pounced on Varun Chakravarthy and hammered 16 runs of his over, before bringing his 21st T20 fifty off 40 balls.
Not far behind, Rizwan reached his half century by pulling Jasprit Bumrah to the boundary in 41 balls.
In the 18th over Rizwan tore apart Mohammad Shami, flicking a full-toss for six off the first ball of the over before registering back-to-back fours, putting Pakistan on the brink of their first-ever World Cup win over India. He made sure there was no nervous finish.
And it was Babar who finished it, clipping Shami to long-on as the winning runs fittingly came from a well-run two.
Babar is seven runs away to become the ninth highest run-scorer in men's T20 international cricket, with David Warner having played 20 more matches. And the Pakistan captain’s current average of 48.34 in T20 internationals is the third-best ever seen in the game.
The only players above him in that list were also both playing in Dubai on Sunday. His opposing skipper, Virat Kohli, tops the list with an average of 52.72, while Rizwan’s 79 not out took his career average up to 52.
However, the early stages of Rizwan’s career had an impact on those numbers. In the 18 T20 internationals since he moved up to open, the 29-year-old has scored 959 runs at an extraordinary average of 87.18.
Speaking after the match to ICC, Babar explained how he and his partner approached the record run-chase.
“The plan with Rizwan is always to keep it simple,” he said. “We tried to get deep in the crease and from about the eighth over the dew came in and the ball came on nicely.
“This is just the start, we have confidence to build on now. It will remain match by match for us.
“The pressure on us wasn't that much - we weren't thinking of the record against India at all. I only wanted to back all our players who've been preparing well.” (UNI)