Babar Azam goes 16 Test innings without 50-plus score: Stats
Former Pakistan cricket team captain, Babar Azam, is experiencing a challenging phase in his Test career. His difficulties were highlighted during the second Test against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Day 4. Babar was dismissed by young pacer Nahid Rana as he departed after managing just 11 runs. He has now gone 16 Test innings without a 50-plus score in the longest format. Let's decode his lean patch in Tests.
Babar's dismissal left Pakistan in precarious position
Babar's latest dismissal occurred in the 19th over of the innings when he was caught by Shadman Islam at first slip off Rana's delivery. He had scored only 11 runs from 18 balls, leaving Pakistan in a difficult position with half their side dismissed for just 65 runs. 0, 22, and 31 read his preceding scores in the series.
Babar's half-century drought extends to 16 Test innings
According to ESPNcricinfo, Babar's scoring woes have extended to a half-century drought in 16 Test innings. His last score above 50 was a commendable 161 against New Zealand in December 2022. In the recent two-Test series against Bangladesh, he managed just 64 runs. This marks his third consecutive Test series without crossing the 50-run mark, following Pakistan's tours of Sri Lanka and Australia.
Dismal run in 2023
It must be noted that Babar had a forgettable time in Tests in 2023 as well. According to ESPNcricinfo, he featured in five Tests last year and could only manage 202 runs at 22.66. Interestingly, he clobbered 1,184 runs at a brilliant average of 69.64 in Tests in 2022. Coming to his overall numbers since 2023, he has scored 317 runs across 15 innings at 21.13. His highest score in this period reads 41.
Teammate Salman defends Azam's performance in press conference
Despite Azam's struggles, his teammate Agha Salman defended him during a press conference. Salman described Azam as a "world-class player" and expressed confidence that he would soon return to scoring big runs for Pakistan. He emphasized that every cricketer goes through challenging phases and urged focus on the team's other players as well.
Here are his overall Test numbers
Babar has now raced to 3,962 runs across 54 Tests, averaging 44.51. He has clubbed nine hundreds and 26 fifties. As per ESPNcricinfo, Babar has compiled 1,555 runs at home at 62.20. He has 1,880 and 527 runs at away and neutral venues, averaging 36.86 and 40.53, respectively. Meanwhile, 306 of his runs have come against Bangladesh at 43.71.
