Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam's century drought continues after he was dismissed for 76 against England. His bizarre shot selection sparked backlash from fans, who criticised his decision-making and technique.
Pakistan’s Test captain Babar Azam’s long wait for a Test century continued after he was dismissed for 76 on the third day of the ongoing third and final Test of the series at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday,
After being bundled out for 133 in the first innings, failing to cross the 200-run mark in five consecutive innings in the ongoing Test series against England, Pakistan have bounced back and gone past the 400-run mark, with Shan Masood (95), opener Azan Awais (59), and captain Babar Azam (76) playing pivotal knocks to steady the innings.
Shan Masood’s 125-run partnership for the third wicket with Azan Awais put the visitors back after two early dismissals, before his another crucial 89-run stand for the fourth wicket with Babar Azam took Pakistan to the 200-run mark for the first time in the Test series against England. Then, Azam formed a 64-run stand for the fifth wicket with Saud Shakeel (29).
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Babar Azam Extends His Century Drought
As Pakistan mounted a gritty fightback at Edgbaston after five consecutive innings of failing to cross the 200-run mark, the focus has been on Babar Azam, who failed to fire in the Lord’s Test, where he registered scores of 6 and 8 before being dismissed for seven runs by Josh Tongue in the first innings of the final Test.
With his form being questioned, Babar knew a substantial triple-figure score was the only definitive answer. Pakistan Test captain managed to bring up his fifty of the series in 76 balls, showing a glimpse of returning to form. However, as the 32-year-old was building his century, the bizarre shot selection saw him dismissed.
While batting on 76 off 102, Babar Azam attempted to pull a delivery off Josh Tongue, but awkwardly gloved a delivery down the leg side straight to the wicketkeeper Jordan Cox, further extending his Test century drought. The star batter fell just 24 runs short of what would have been a long-awaited Test century.
The last time Babar Azam scored a Test century was in December 2022, when he struck a magnificent 161 against New Zealand in Karachi, extending his barren run in the format to over three and a half years.
Since his last Test century, Babar has scored 8 fifties, with 88 against the West Indies in the second Test being his highest score during the barren run. His 76-run dismissal against England at Edgbaston further extended his frustrating wait for his 10th Test century after more than three years.
Babar Azam Faces Backlash Over Bizarre Dismissal
Babar Azam’s shot selection, which led to his dismissal and extended his Test century drought, has sparked reactions on social media, with fans and cricket enthusiasts criticising his decision-making and inability to convert a well-set innings into a much-needed century.
Taking to their X handles, many criticised Babar’s shot selection, stating that he appeared uncomfortable against the short ball and threw away his wicket after getting well set for a potential century. Others questioned why the Pakistan skipper was overly aggressive after getting well set, with some fans accusing him of throwing away his wicket when the team needed him most.
However, a few fans questioned his technique against the short ball, with one describing his dismissal as a reflection of his struggles against bouncers, while another fan stated that his dismissal was not surprising given his consistent struggles against short-pitched deliveries.
Meanwhile, Pakistan were bundled out for 449 in 96.4 overs and set a 129-run target for England to chase. The 121-run partnership between Razullah (81) and Mohammad Abbas (42) for the ninth wicket down the batting order propelled the visitors to a competitive total, putting pressure right back on the hosts as the game heads into its crucial final phase.
