Given that his last century was in the Asia Cup against Nepal in 2023, Babar Azam may be having a disappointing run in international cricket. However, the batter has made a unique World Test Championship (WTC) record.
The right-hander's accomplishment is especially noteworthy because he is the first Asian player to accomplish it. Babar will be sincerely grateful to his stars because not even Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were able to accomplish this achievement.
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Babar became the first Asian batsman to reach the 3000-run milestone in the WTC after he hit 23 runs against South Africa in the opening innings of the first Test match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The former Pakistan captain has now amassed 3,021 runs in the World Test Championship, which began with the 2019 Ashes series between Australia and England.
With 6080 runs in 69 games, England's Joe Root tops the list, and Babar is presently the eighth-highest run scorer in WTC history. Speaking of Babar, he has amassed 3021 runs in 37 games and 67 innings, aided by 8 hundreds and 18 half-centuries.
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Virat and Rohit, who declared their retirements from Test cricket earlier this year, have scored 2617 (46 matches) and 2716 (40 matches) in the WTC.
Joe Root (6080), Steve Smith (4278), Marnus Labuschagne (4225), Ben Stokes (3616), and Travis Head (3300) are the top five run scorers in WTC history. With 2826 runs in 39 games, India skipper Shubman Gill is the leading Indian run scorer in the WTC.
Against South Africa, the former captain of Pakistan came out firing, smashing a few boundaries for fun and looking ready for a huge one. On Day 1, however, the batter was dismissed in the last session after walking back to the hut after hitting four boundaries and scoring 23 runs off 48 balls.
Babar Azam will be eager to make a statement in the two-match Test series against South Africa, having struggled for runs of late. In the opening Test, Pakistan reached 313 for 5 at stumps on Day 1, with Mohammad Rizwan (62*) and Salman Ali Agha (52*) holding fort.
Neither Babar nor Rizwan were included in Pakistan's 2025 Asia Cup team, who lost to India by five wickets in the final.
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