Shai Hope Surpasses Babar Azam to Become Fastest Batsman to Score 1000 ODI Runs in Asia, Achieves Feat During Sri Lanka vs West Indies 1st ODI 2020
The batsman played several glorious shots during his 115-run knock and also claimed a prestigious record. By scoring his second run of the match, Hope surpassed Babar Azam to become the fastest batsman to reach the landmark of 1000 ODI runs on Asian soil.
Extending his purple patch in limited-overs cricket, Caribbean opener Shai Hope slammed a brilliant century during Sri Lanka vs West Indies 1st ODI at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The batsman played several glorious shots during his 115-run knock and also claimed a prestigious record. By scoring his second run of the match, Hope surpassed Babar Azam to become the fastest batsman to reach the landmark of 1000 ODI runs on Asian soil. The swashbuckling opener achieved the feat in just 15 innings which the current Pakistani skipper took 17 innings to complete 1000 ODI runs in Asia. Sri Lanka Vs West Indies, Full Scorecard 1st ODI Match.
The record is even more special as Hope hasn’t grown up playing in the spin-friendly sub-continental conditions. However, he didn’t take long in adapting the conditions and has been scoring runs consistently at the highest level. The right-handed batsman has been blessed with an impeccable technique and thus, is able to tackle the turning deliveries. Well, the Men in Maroon are going through a transition and Hope’s good run will be critical to his team’s success.
Unfortunately, the wicket-keeper batsman’s effort went in vain as Sri Lanka managed to chase the target of 290 runs with one wicket in hand. Half-centuries from openers Avishka Fernando and Dimuth Karunaratne and handy cameos from Thisara Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga helped the home team cross the line in a nail-biting game. With this triumph, the Lankans have also taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. So, a win in the next encounter will seal the deal for them while the visitors have to win to stay alive in the series.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 22, 2020 06:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).