Abdullah Shafique shows he can play the Pakistan Way

Abdullah Shafique couldn't have asked for a more memorable World Cup debut. A century in a record chase to make it two wins in two, appreciation from his captain, encouragement from the crowd - it was a night he will remember forever.

In a parallel universe, Shafique may have just carried drinks, merely soaking in being part of a famous win from the sidelines. Or even a morale-sapping loss after conceding 345. But Fakhar Zaman's lean run that had extended into its sixth month led to him getting an opportunity.

It's debatable whether Fakhar deserved to be dropped this early in the World Cup, especially after he was wholeheartedly backed by Mickey Arthur just three nights earlier. But Pakistan couldn't have thrown Shafique into a cauldron in front of 100,000 fans against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in Ahmedabad. It was the logical decision and Shafique repaid that faith.

His 113 was peerless, and he stuck to the old-school fundamentals of building an innings rather than trying to go berserk initially. It was a knock that underlined his self-awareness, the ability to play to fields, decide which bowlers to take on.

Shafique benefitted immensely from having Mohammad Rizwan at the other end and the pair pitched multiple base camps as Pakistan built towards the summit attempt. None of which had seemed possible at 37 for 2 in the eighth over when Babar Azam was strangled down the leg side.

Until he got to a half-century, Shafique barely took a risk. He'd emerged as a Test batter with pedigree, glimpses of which were seen in Sri Lanka a few months earlier on tough turners. His one-day game was still a work-in-progress. Pakistan saw potential, and his skill and technique was never in doubt, the big question remained: could he adapt? Shafique had only played eight List A games, so the sample size was small.

Shafique is watchable whatever the score. There's so much confidence, a repertoire of shots that make you go 'wow', like the one soon after his hundred when he waltzed down the track and lofted Dilshan Madushanka off his length over extra cover. As their partnership grew, Shafique's belief in his methods convinced Rizwan the best thing would be to just enjoy the show rather than keep chirping instructions at the end of every over.

"The idea was to bat until the 20th over first, take our score up to 100 and then reassess again at 30, and once again at 40," Rizwan said. "I told him initially, let's not look at the scoreboard. Just keep batting, just be there, spend time in the middle."

Shafique got to his half-century off 58 balls, playing largely conventional cricket. It was in sharp contrast to Sri Lanka's gung-ho approach that eventually tapered to a trickle as their innings ended. Remarkably, for a side that made their highest World Cup total - 344 - the sentiment was that they should have got 370, perhaps 380. The first ball Shafique faced after getting to a half-century was launched over long-on for six. It was time to take off.

"Century came later; initially when you lose early wickets, as a young player coming in, especially in a big chase, there's pressure and what he did out there is in front of all of you," Rizwan said of Shafique. "Yes, the pitch supported the batters but when you look at the scoreboard, there's pressure. The communication with him was to build an innings, bat until the 20th and take it from there. The way he built the innings beautifully from there on, it became easier for us to chase it down."

It took just 39 balls for Shafique to go from 50 to 100; he brought up the landmark with a bludgeoned pull off Madushanka. There had been pin-drop silence when Babar was dismissed; now there was wild cheering for Shafique and Rizwan as Pakistan got within range.

When Shafique got to a half-century, you wondered if he had the gears to play the Pakistan Way. Shafique answered that emphatically, buying into the team's new mantra of playing fearlessly.

"This is a great sign not just for me, but for our batting unit, the kind of confidence you get when you chase down a 300-plus score is amazing," he said. "My preparation [for the World Cup] began even before I got to India. You assess the kind of pitches we will play on, conditions, bowling attacks and make plans accordingly. I was prepared; I was just waiting for an opportunity and I'm thankful to the team management for their backing."

Shafique is only 23. He will face bigger battles, and better attacks on tougher surfaces. For now, when he takes off for Ahmedabad, he can soak in a job well done before he gets into rinse-and-repeat mode.