"Unreal decline" - Fans react as Babar Azam falls cheaply again in 2024 PAK vs ENG 1st Test, goes 18 innings without a 50
Babar Azam failed to deliver with the bat again in the ongoing first Test against England in Multan on Day 4 (Thursday, October 10). The right-handed batter departed for just five runs off 15 balls in the second innings after getting caught behind by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Gus Atkinson. With the dismissal, Babar left the Men in Green in a spot of bother at 41-3 after 12 overs.
Babar had scored 30 off 71 deliveries in the first innings on what has been a batting paradise. With another failure, he has now gone 18 innings without a 50+ score.
The Lahore-batter had slammed a century against New Zealand in January 2023. Since then, Babar has returned with scores of 14, 24, 27, 13, 24, 39, 21, 14, 1, 41, 26, 23, 0, 22, 31, 11, 30 and 5 (today).
Fans on X trolled Babar Azam for yet another failure in the first Test against England. One user wrote:
"Don't even remember the last time Babar Azam scored a fifty in test cricket. Unreal decline."
Another user wrote:
"I feel ashamed remembering that this guy Zimbabar was once compared to Kohli by an insecure pack of clown"
A third user wrote sarcastically:
"The Highway of Multan suddenly turned into Lord's Day 1 pitch under clouds and Gus Atkinson looked like Jimmy Anderson. Feel for Babar Azam."
Here are a few more reactions:
Pakistan could lose opening Test against England after top order collapse ft. Babar Azam
Pakistan are closing in on a defeat in the opening Test against England following a top-order collapse in the second innings. At the time of writing, the hosts were 49/4, with Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease, trailing by 218 runs.
Earlier on Day 4, England declared at 823/7 in their first innings. Harry Brook and Joe Root starred with the bat. Root smashed 262 runs off 375 balls, comprising 17 boundaries. Meanwhile, Brook slammed the second-fastest triple century, scoring 317 off 322 deliveries, a knock laced with three maximums and 29 boundaries. The duo shared a 454-run partnership for the fourth wicket to leave the Men in Green in disarray.
Batting first, Pakistan put up 556 in their first innings, courtesy of centuries from skipper Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, and Agha Salman.
Follow the PAK vs ENG 1st Test live score and updates here.