PAK vs SL 2025: Babar Azam equals Virat Kohli as wait for century extends
The stylish right-hander, who last scored a hundred during the Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal, has now gone 83 innings without a century.
Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam’s wait for an international century continued as he was dismissed for 29 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The stylish right-hander, who last scored a hundred during the Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal, has now gone 83 innings without a century, equalling Virat Kohli’s record for the longest such drought in international cricket.
The series opener witnessed Sri Lanka’s first bilateral ODI in Pakistan since 2019, with Charith Asalanka-led team electing to bowl first. Pakistan, under Shaheen Shah Afridi, made one change from their previous ODI, bringing back Naseem Shah for the unwell Abrar Ahmed. The hosts looked for a strong start, but things did not go entirely to plan for Pakistan’s top order. Opener Saim Ayub departed early to Asitha Fernando, putting pressure on the middle order. Babar then joined Fakhar Zaman at the crease, looking to steady the innings and play an anchor role.
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Wanindu Hasaranga removes Babar Azam with googly
The right-handed batter facing Maheesh Theekshana got off the mark with two boundaries, including a cut past backward point, followed by a drive over cover. Alongside Fakhar, Babar helped rebuild Pakistan’s innings with a 54-run partnership for the second wicket, stabilising the innings after the early loss.
But once the Sri Lankan spinners came in, scoring runs became tough. The batter's strike rate dipped as Wanindu Hasaranga and Theekshana bowled at tight lines. On 29 from 51 balls, Babar faced Hasaranga’s well-disguised googly that came in from outside off. The Pakistan batter leaned forward to defend, giving a slight gap between bat and pad. The ball spun and sneaked through to clip the top of the off-stump.
The dismissal once again saw Babar’s ongoing struggle to convert starts into big scores, a pattern that has remained across formats over the past two years. With this innings, his drought officially reached 800 days. Despite losing their captain, Pakistan managed to post 299/5, thanks to Agha Salman’s unbeaten 105 and 62 from Hussain Talat. The lower order provided the late push that Pakistan needed to reach close to 300 on a good batting surface.
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