50 overs Pakistan 305 for 7 (Babar 115, Fakhar 54, Hasaranga 2-63) v Sri Lanka

Babar Azam produced another effortless hundred, Fakhar Zaman made a half-century, and the lower middle order gave the Pakistan innings the finish it deserved, to launch the hosts to an imposing 305 for 7.

Minus Lasith Malinga and Akila Dananjaya, Sri Lanka were toothless through the middle overs again, allowing a 111-run third-wicket stand between Babar and Haris Sohail to flourish, as Pakistan set themselves up beautifully for the last 10 overs. The visitors pulled themselves back into the game briefly by effecting a few dismissals through the early death overs, but Pakistan had enough batting on hand to hurt them in the end - Iftikhar Ahmed smashed 32* off 20 in his first ODI since 2015, as the hosts reaped 72 runs off the last seven overs.

Sri Lanka can at least take heart that although no ODIs have been played in Karachi for 10 years, it is not unheard of for teams to chase big at this venue - targets of over 300 having been successfully run down four times. Nevertheless, it will be a substantial challenge for their weakened top order.

On a flat surface, Babar didn't take long to get his big shots humming. He thumped his eleventh ball past mid-on to collect his first boundary, before launching Wanindu Hasaranga over the midwicket boundary next over. His striking would become more and more imperious as the innings wore on, and in between the singles and twos would be effortlessly collected.

At no stage did his innings ever look laboured. He got to fifty with a sumptuous cover drive, off the 55th delivery he faced, and then raised the tempo. His most productive over was the 34th of the innings, when he hit legspinner Hasaranga for two sixes over long-on. The hundred was brought up with a boundary as well - this one with a cut shot to the backward point boundary.

It was the 11th century of his career, his third against Sri Lanka, and the third of his last 11 innings, with four half-centuries and two scores of over 40 having been hit through that period as well. That he's a blinding limited-overs talent has been known for some years now, but in the last few months, Babar has suggested he is coming into a new, more-consistent period in his career.

He was eventually out for 115 off 105 balls - one of four batsmen to lose their wickets during the 40th and 49th overs, but as the stand between him and Haris had brought Pakistan coasting to 214 for 2 after 39 overs, Pakistan had resources to burn at the death. It seemed for a while that Pakistan would not quite breach 300, but Iftikhar struck two sixes off two of Nuwan Pradeep's slower balls in the final over of the innings, in which the hosts plundered 20 runs.

Earlier, Fakhar had struck some eye-catching boundaries of his own, as he strode to 54 off 65 balls, putting on 73 for the first wicket alongside Imam-ul-Haq, in the process. That stand had been broken by Hasaranga, who despite copping punishment from Babar, was Sri Lanka's best bowler of the innings, also eventually taking the wicket of Fakhar to finish with figures of 2 for 63. Isuru Udana and Lahiru Kumara also claimed a wicket apiece. Sri Lanka effected three run outs in the last 11 overs of the innings.