Babar Azam's dismal run in Test cricket continues: Key stats
What's the story
Babar Azam, once a top-tier batter in international cricket, is now facing a major slump. Fans and experts questioned his spot in the Test XI after he faltered against South Africa in the ongoing second Test in Rawalpindi. Babar scored just 16 runs off 22 balls on a flat pitch, marking his 16th consecutive innings in a home Test without scoring a half-century.
Knock
Brief stay for Babar
Batting first in the game, Pakistan were well placed at 145/2 when Babar joined his skipper Shan Masood in the middle. The former started aggressively and even hammered three boundaries during his stay. However, he was dismissed for just 16 runs off 22 balls, having been caught by Tony de Zorzi off Keshav Maharaj's bowling.
Performance review
Numbers in home Tests since start of 2023
Since the start of 2023, Babar has averaged 18.40 in home Tests. As per ESPNcricinfo, this is the lowest among specialist batters with at least 200 runs in this period. His best score in this duration has been 42. The last time he crossed the 50-run mark at home was back in December 2022 against New Zealand, where he scored an impressive 161.
Slump
7 Test innings without a fifty
Babar's struggles aren't just limited to home Tests. He has now gone seven Test innings without a fifty. In his last seven innings, he has managed scores of 16, 42, 23, 31, 1, 5, and 8. Meanwhile, the aforementioned 161 versus NZ was also Babar's last Test hundred. He has averaged a poor 23.96 in overall Tests since the start of 2023 (28 innings).
Century streak
When did Babar last score a hundred for Pakistan?
In international cricket, Babar has now gone 75 innings without a century. His last three-figure score came against Nepal in August 2023 when he scored an impressive 151 runs off just 131 balls. This knock came in an ODI match. This is a stark contrast to Indian talisman Virat Kohli, who had an 83-inning gap between centuries from 2019 to 2022.
Information
Here are his overall Test numbers
Babar has now raced to 4,316 runs across 61 Tests, averaging 42.31. He has clubbed nine hundreds and 29 fifties. As per ESPNcricinfo, Babar has compiled 1,716 runs at home at 50.47. Against SA, he now owns 617 runs at 36.29 (50s: 6).