Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the first batsman to score three successive ODI hundreds twice as he anchored a five-wicket win over the West Indies in Multan on Wednesday.

Ranked the No 1 batsman in both limited-overs formats, Azam cracked a brilliant 103 off 107 balls with nine boundaries to help Pakistan overhaul a tough 306-run target in 49.2 overs.

Opener Shai Hope made a 134-ball 127 for his 12th ODI century to help the West Indies post an impressive 305-8 – their highest score against Pakistan in Pakistan.

The win gives Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and 10 crucial points in the World Cup Super League, a qualification process for the 2023 tournament to be hosted by India.

But once Azam and Mohammad Rizwan (59) fell in quick succession, Pakistan were in a spot of bother with 50 needed off 32 balls.

Khushdil Shah lived up to his big-hitting reputation and carted four sixes in his 23-ball 41* – including three in a row in Romario Shepherd’s 47th over – before Mohammad Nawaz hit the winning six in the final over.

Azam generously handed his Man of the Match award to Khushdil.

“I want to give the award to him for his outstanding knock,” said Azam. “We planned the chase and showed intent which worked in our favour.”

West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran praised his team.

“Getting 300 plus in tough conditions was a great effort,” he said. “I am proud of the guys and although the result did not go our way, that’s cricket.”

Azam added 103 for the second wicket with Imam-ul-Haq who scored 65 off 71 balls after opener Fakhar Zaman fell for 11. Haq hit six boundaries before he gave an easy catch, failing to keep a reverse sweep down off-spinner Akeal Hosein.

Azam added 108 with Rizwan for the third wicket and during that stand guided spinner Hayden Walsh to third-man boundary for his 17th hundred in ODI cricket.

Azam had scored two hundreds in Pakistan’s last two ODIs against Australia in March-April this year. He also smashed three in successive ODIs against the West Indies in the UAE in 2016.

Former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara holds the record with four consecutive ODI centuries, with nine other batsmen having made three successive centuries once each.

Azam holed out to paceman Alzarri Jospeh who finished with 2-55.

Earlier, the 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, the best of the 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°C – did not stop Hope and Brooks, who both batted with guts and power.

Hope drove pacer Hasan Ali to the 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.

It was a brilliant one-handed diving catch by Shadab Khan off Nawaz at short third man that dismissed Brooks, but only after he helped Hope in recovery.

Pooran hit three towering sixes in his 16-ball 21 while Rovman Powell made 32 off 23 balls and Shepherd took 25 off 18 as the West Indies added 87 in the last 10 overs.

The West Indies’ previous highest tally against Pakistan in Pakistan was 258-7 scored in Karachi in 1987.

The second match is on Friday and the third on Sunday, also in Multan.

© Agence France-Presse