Former India head coach Ravi Shastri hailed Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s strategy, emphasising that batters looking to succeed in crunch games need to embrace his approach.

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Babar’s recent remarkable performance in the opening game of the 2023 Asia Cup against Nepal, bagging his 19th ODI century, has acted as the perfect example for prospective batters. He scored an extraordinary 151 off 131 balls, surpassing South African player Hashim Amla’s record and standing out as the fastest player to score 19 ODI centuries.

He achieved this astonishing record in just 102 innings. Babar’s 151-run innings stands second in the Asia Cup history after Virat Kohli’s 183 against Pakistan in 2012. Furthermore, Babar set another record of being the first captain to score 150 or more in an Asia Cup, breaking Kohli’s previous record of 136 against Bangladesh in 2014.

“Babar consistently turns his 30s and 40s into hundreds, which is crucial,” Shastri told ESPNcricinfo. “Often we encourage players to go out and face a multitude of balls, but it’s the hundred from one of your top three that enables a 300-plus score.”

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The former India coach also emphasised the importance of fielding, hinting that it could be a game-changer.

“Sri Lanka, the last Asia Cup champions, owe much of their victory to their fielding. They’ve maintained their status as the best fielding side in the subcontinent since 1996, last Asia Cup notwithstanding,” said Shastri. “In Sri Lankan conditions, they are the ones to watch. However, should India elevate their fielding level, they could emerge as a formidable opponent.”