Babar Azam breaks Virat Kohli's long-standing record; first batter to score 3 ODI centuries in a row two times

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Multan, June 9: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam scripted a brilliant record while scoring a century against the West Indies in the first ODI in Multan, becoming the first batter to score three consecutive hundreds on two separate occasions in ODIs.

Babar smashed 103 off 107 balls and led Pakistan to victory by five wickets. This is the second time that Babar has scored three consecutive centuries in ODIs.

His earlier three centuries came against West Indies in 2016, when he made 120, 123, and 117 in back-to-back innings.

With this outstanding accomplishment, Babar also surpassed the long-standing record of Virat Kohli, becoming the fastest to score 1,000 runs as captain in the format.

He attained the milestone in his 13th innings as Pakistan captain while it took 17 innings for Kohli to get there.

Talking about the match, the Pakistan skipper stitched up a 103-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq (65) as the hosts chased down a target of 306 in Multan to take a lead by 1-0 up in the three-match series against West Indies.

Former Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara hit four consecutive centuries in as many matches leads the chart with nine other batsmen have three successive centuries once each.

Azam holed out to paceman Alzarri Jospeh who finished with 2-55. Earlier, West Indies, who won the toss and batted, were guided by Hope and Shamarh Brooks.

Hope, who cracked 15 boundaries and a six, added an innings-building 154 with Shamarh Brooks after the visitors lost opener Kyle Mayers for three in the third over, caught and bowled by pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Brooks scored a polished 83-ball 70 with seven boundaries. Fast bowler Haris Rauf, best of home bowlers with 4-77, ended Hope's knock when he bowled him with a slower delivery in the 44th over.

The scorching Multan heat -- with temperatures soaring to between 40 to 42 degrees Celsius (104 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit -- did not stop Hope and Brooks, who both batted with guts and power.

Hope drove pacer Hasan Ali to cover boundary to reach three-figures off 118 balls, also completing 4,000 ODI runs in his 93rd match. He is the 11th West Indies batsman to reach the milestone in ODI cricket.