PAK vs BAN 1st Test: Babar Azam's poor form continues, registers first-ever duck against Bangladesh

Babar Azam's poor form continues, registers first-ever duck against Bangladesh.

Babar Azam's poor form in Test cricket continued as he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the opening match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, 21 August. Pakistan suffered an embarrassing collapse after being put in to bat at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with Bangladesh's pace bowlers asserting dominance early on.

Babar came in to bat after Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood within the first seven overs. Facing only his second delivery, Babar was dismissed when he tried to play a short delivery from Soriful Islam down the leg side. A thick inside edge was snatched up by wicketkeeper Litton Das, who took an impressive diving catch to dismiss Babar and surprise both the former captain and the home crowd.

The 29-year-old Babar recorded his first-ever duck against Bangladesh in Tests, a team against which he has previously had a strong record. This was also his first duck in Test matches at home and his eighth overall, marking a disappointing start to the two-match series.

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August 21, 2024

Currently ranked third in the ICC men’s Test batting rankings, Babar has struggled with his form in 2024. He failed to score a single fifty in six innings against Australia during the previous Test series in December-January, accumulating just 126 runs at an average of 21.00. His last Test century came against New Zealand in December 2022, and he has not reached fifty in his last 13 Test innings. Despite this, he maintains impressive statistics with 3,898 runs at an average of 45.85, including nine centuries. His recent poor form has also contributed to Pakistan's sixth-place position in the World Test Championship table.

Meanwhile, following Babar's dismissal, Pakistan stumbled to 16 for 3. However, opener Saim Ayub and in-form Saud Shakeel steadied the innings with an unbeaten 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket, bringing Pakistan's total to 51/3 after 14 overs.