On Friday, Azhar Ali became the fourth Pakistani to score 300 or more in a single innings when Pakistan opted to bat first against West Indies in the second ever day-night test in Dubai. He also became the first batsman in day-night test cricket to achieve such a feat.
Ali joins a distinguished list of batsmen such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, who made 329 against New Zealand in 2002 at Lahore, late Hanif Mohammad smashing 337 against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958 and Younis Khan, who made 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009, who scored triple centuries for Pakistan.
Already captain of the one-day team, Ali’s innings lasted for 469 balls, which included 23 fours and three towering sixes that lasted for 11 hours. He had an almost flawless innings and rarely hit the ball in the air. His timing was sublime and was ably supported by Sami Aslam (90), Asad Shafiq (67) and Babar Azam (69).
Pakistan declared their first innings at 579-3 with West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo taking 2/125 runs while the other bowlers struggled. West Indies were on 69/1 with Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo at the crease.