WI vs PAK: Babar Azam's wait for 10th Test hundred continues after Pakistan captain falls short in 2nd Test in Trinidad
Pakistan's Babar Azam could add just two runs to his overnight total of 86 on Day 3 of the second Test against West Indies. The last time Babar scored a Test hundred was in 2022 at home.
Babar Azam's wait for his 10th Test hundred continued on Tuesday after the Pakistan captain fell short in the second game against West Indies in Trinidad. Having regained the captaincy, the right-hander has been in good touch in the Caribbean. He scored a hundred in the practice match before playing a fighting knock of 58 in the second innings of the first Test.
In the second Test, Babar led from the front in the first innings in reply to West Indies' total of 344. Coming in at no.4, Babar looked in his best flair and got into the stride immediately after Pakistan lost Azan Awais for 55.
Putting aside the 90-run loss to West Indies in the first Test at the Brian Lara Stadium, captain Babar and the recalled Abdullah Shafique made the most of ideal batting conditions and pleasant weather, gathering runs in style.
While Shafique posted his sixth Test century in an unbroken 168-run third-wicket stand at the end of Day 2, Babar finished on an unbeaten 86, as Pakistan capped off the best day in the series so far. But the right-hander could manage just two runs on the third day to miss on a hundred.
How did Babar Azam got out?
The incident took place in the 75th over of Pakistan's first innings. Jomel Warrican tossed up a delivery which Babar pushed softly towards cover. The Pakistan captain immediately set off for a single. Seeing no run, Shafique sends his captain back. Babar was half-way down the pitch by that time.
Brandon King picks the ball to hit the bulls eye at the striker's end. Babar fell short despite a desperate dive. During his 147-ball innings, Babar smashed one six and hit 10 fours. In the process, Babar's quest for a 10th Test hundred continued. The last time Babar scored a Test century was in December 2022 against New Zealand at home in Karachi.
Babar's wicket led to a surprise middle order collapse for Pakistan. From being at 281/3, Pakistan lost three more wickets within 30 runs as the likes of Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan and Awais Zafar departed cheaply.
Abdullah Shafique makes grand return
Getting an opportunity after first-match centurion Shan Masood got injured, Shafique grabbed it with both hands. During his innings, Shafique looked as ease and played each ball on its merit.
"Abdullah has been scoring heavily in domestic competition and he has taken this opportunity with both hands. For me, the hallmark of his innings was the way he put away the bad deliveries and respected the good ones," said batting coach Asad Shafique.
Earlier, West Indies extended their first innings by 109 runs in the elongated morning session. All-rounder Justin Greaves and overnight partner Roston Chase pushed their sixth-wicket stand to 96 before the summoning of the second new ball, unexpectedly in the hands of spinner Ali Usman, brought the breakthrough when Greaves, on 73, sliced an ambitious heave to point.
Fast-medium bowler Ubaid Shah then bowled Chase for 70 and despite more typically stubborn resistance from Kemar Roach, Sajid Khan claimed the last three wickets, the off-spinner finishing with career-best of 4/85.