Haris Sohail Birthday Special: 130 vs Australia & Other Impressive Knocks by Pakistan Batsman

Cornerstone of Pakistan’s current batting line-up, Haris Sohail celebrates his 32nd birthday on Saturday (January 9). Born in 1989, the southpaw is a utility cricketer who can contribute in multiple departments. While he can score runs consistently across formats, his ability to chip in with few overs makes him a captain’s delight. However, it’s his batting which has benefited Pakistan cricket the most. Sohail is a sweet timer of the ball who likes to play orthodox shots. However, the left-handed batsman doesn’t mind playing ramps and sweeps in the end overs of the game. Below, we’ll revisit some of his best knocks. Daryn Dupavillon, Ottniel Baartman Receive Maiden Test Call-Ups as South Africa Announce Squad for Pakistan Series.

Making his international debut in 2013, Sohail couldn’t immediately cement his place in the team due to presence of Younis  Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. However,  once these big names retired, Sohail became a regular part of Pakistan’s playing XI. Batting in the middle order, the southpaw can stabilize the innings after a top-order collapse alongside providing the late flourishes. So far, Sohail has scored 847, 1685 and 210 runs in 16 Test matches, 42 ODIs and 16 T20Is respectively. As the Pakistan batsman turns a year older, let’s revisit some of his best knocks.

85 vs New Zealand in 2014

Chasing 247 in the opening game of 2014 ODI series against New Zealand, Pakistan lost veterans Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan cheaply. However, a young Haris Sohail made a fightback with a gritty knock. Despite losing partners from other end, the southpaw stood like and rock and got the scoreboard ticking. Scoring 85 off 109 balls, Sohail remained unbeaten till the end as the Men in Green registered a three-wicket win.

130 vs Australia in 2019

Pakistan were in all sort of pressure after losing opener Abid Ali cheaply in the fifth ODI of 2019 ODI series against Australia. Sohail came out at number three as the Men in Green had to chase 328 to get over the line. Amid all the pressure, the left-handed batsman played some glorious shots in Dubai and brought up his second ODI ton. His knock, however, wasn’t enough as the Aussies won the game by 20 runs.

89 vs South Africa in 2019

Sohail was at the peak of his prowess during Pakistan’s meeting against South Africa in the 2019 World cup. Coming to bat at number five in London, the southpaw went after the Proteas bowlers from the outset and scored runs all over the park. From Kagiso Rabada to Lungi Ngidi, everyone was taken to cleaners as Haris scored 89 off 59 balls. As a result, Pakistan piled up 308/7 batting first and eventually registered a 49-run win.

110 vs Australia in 2018

It was the first clash of Pakistan vs Australia 2018 Test series, and Haris Sohail was in full song. Batting first in Dubai, the dasher came into bat at number four and didn’t put a foot wrong against Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. He brought up his maiden Test ton as Pakistan powered to 482. However, Tim Paine’s men managed to make a comeback with the clash resulting in a draw.

147 vs New Zealand in 2018

While Sohail’s maiden Test hundred came against Australia, his second century in the format came against New Zealand. The occasion was the second Test of 2018 series and the venue was Dubai. On a turning track, Sohail didn’t put a foot wrong and valiantly tackled the likes of Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi. He ended up scoring 147 off 421 balls as Pakistan declared their first innings at 418/5. The Kiwis never really looked in the contest as they suffered a massive loss by an innings and 16 runs.

Sohail was last seen in the recently-concluded Pakistan vs New Zealand Test series. The veteran batsman couldn’t make much impact as the visitors lost both the games. Nevertheless, he’ll like to redeem himself in the home Test series against South Africa. The two-match Test series gets underway on January 26, and the southpaw will have a point to prove.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2021 09:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).